The Danger of Critical Race Theory
There is no room for critical race theory (CRT) in Hawai‘i schools. CRT rejects Martin Luther King’s philosophy that ‘a person should be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin’ and advances the notion that ‘a person should be judged by the content of melanin in their skin.’ It is pure racism. We in Hawai’i, with our multi-ethnic blending, not only find this notion ‘repulsive’, but we are living proof that this (so called) “theory” is positively false.
It is important to note that CRT is an offshoot of ‘critical theory’— a strategy developed in the 1930s, by a group of Communist intellectuals known as the ‘Frankfurt School.’ Their scheme was to fundamentally transform America by gradually supplanting American culture with their own Marxist ideology. The basic strategy is the classic “divide and conquer.” This is what we are looking at with critical race theory.
Richard Morse, Kilauea
Seasoned Citizens
Today’s world of compartmentalization of people, events and politics, the issue of baby-boomers, flower children, millennials and generation X and such nomenclature, presents a conundrum to those who were born prior or just after the cataclysmic events of December 7, 1941.
Our generation was the subsequent extension of the greatest generation, who collectively embraced the true essence of patriotism and sacrifice. Many of the values instilled by our parents and their parents, most of whom were immigrants coming to the new country, have guided us through many years of turmoil and uncertainty.
We have endured fourteen presidents, several wars, assassinations, Watergate, the Cold War, the 9/11 attack on home soil , natural disasters and the advent of computer technology. As a high school student, I had trouble learning the home keys on my typewriter. Our reveling in anticipation of the high school dance, going steady and dreaming of that girl in French class still resonates notwithstanding in the distant past.
The explosion of the Beatles, Carnaby fashions , polyester pant suits, the Twist, Disco and Rap Music all have replaced the ivy look and the big band era of romanticism. The McGuire Sisters have been preempted by the Kardashians.. Reality television, where 15 people sit around in a $10M mansion, and discuss dysfunctionality and promiscuity, has supplanted the Carol Burnett and Perry Como family experiences.
The Survivor Show whereby people eat bugs, bath in mud, trek through the Australian outback naked while being bitten by ten different species of poisonous snakes, has become the anthem of today’s generation. Many of us have had a parallel path by moving to South Florida……. So who are we? We exist in a title less vacuum.
They call us senior citizens. Such a silly moniker! One need only to take the time to “repose in tranquility”, to understand the true nature of who we are: We are the kids who drank cokes at the neighbor drug store, graduated high school and maybe college, used “cool, groovy and swell” as the mainstay of our vocabulary, found our way in the world, became soulmates, parents and grandparents , and depending on one’s gender , still have crushes on Doris Day or Pat Boone.
WE ARE SEASONED CITIZENS……
Jamie V. Mantegna, class of 60, Lihu‘e
Coco Palms needs a plan
It’s great to read about Hawaiian and community groups calling for utilizing the Coco Palms site for a cultural center.
It’s sad to read that they have no plan for constructing or sustaining it. It’s also sad that they forget how the last developers actually set aside over 10 acres to be used as a cultural center, allocated land for the community to have luaus and large gatherings (with parking), and provided parking for beach goers with shuttles transporting folks to the beach.
They also established a funding method using a portion of the resort fees to sustain and maintain the operations. Too bad those who have this vision now, weren’t able to open their eyes earlier. Auwe!
Dirk Soma, Lihu‘e
Poor use of county funds
What’s wrong with this picture? As I was driving to Koke’e on Route 552 at the little stretch of Monkey pod trees. I notice a sign holder on the south side of the one lane bridge. As I approached and pass by two County dump truck and a cherry picker. I noticed four men ( three talking behind a dump truck and one on a cell phone). I assume the one on the cherry picker was up trimming the trees. I also noticed, there was no-one on the north side to control traffic for the southbound on Route 552. It was an accident waiting to happen.
I know it’s been a County policy to have more men power at a work site. However, one of the men should have been holding a sign on the north side to control traffic at the point .
Our tax money pays good to this men. What’s up with that, Mayor Kawakami?
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
