Hawai‘i not the melting pot people believe it to be
In response to Richard Morse (The danger of critical race theory, TGI Forum, July 18), it is easy to fear something that you do not fully understand.
Communism and Marxism are socioeconomic systems. Critical race theory is intersectional, using class analysis and examination of social, legal and cultural issues as they relate to race.
I think it’s comical that Mr. Morse claims that “We in Hawai‘i…find this notion ‘repulsive” and that CRT is “classic ‘divide and conquer,’” when we who understand Hawai‘i through CRT know that the Massie trial, the sugar plantations’ use of divide and conquer against laborers, and today’s fines levied against residents for “unessential water use” while tourists enjoy resort swimming pools are examples of racism and classism in Hawai‘i, which isn’t the melting pot that so many believe to exist.
Thank you.
Michael Miranda, Puhi
Police are human — good, not so good and bad
I’m responding to Kimo’s Other Voices of July 14 (Forum, “On body cameras and ‘criminal law’”). To start with, I’ll write a piece of his. “A teenage girl who was about to stab and possibly kill another girl was apprehended and shot by a police officer who potentially saved the life of the person about to be stabbed.”
If a police officer has apprehended a suspect and then shoots and kills the person, there’s a possibility that the officer committed a crime. Police are human, and that means that there are good ones, not so good ones and bad ones. They have rules to follow, and if they don’t, then negative consequences will follow.
You’re correct that much of the time these suspects aren’t the best people, and the Honolulu case would certainly have the arrow pointing in that direction. However, the suspect’s car was stopped and the officers shot from behind, killing him with multiple back-of-the-head shots. It does paint a picture of a possible criminal act.
Now onto body cams, cameras and at-birth micro-chipping. The police wear body cams, but for it to work it has to be turned on. Sometimes it isn’t, and I wonder why? It’s one profession that warrants the wearing of and of its correct use.
Eye-in-the-sky camera surveillance does feel somewhat overreaching, and there needs to be specific laws in what information is picked up and how it’s used.
At-birth micro-chipping, NO.
Oh, I just remembered the police-defunding comment. When that came out I knew it was the wrong way to label police reforms or the restructuring of police departments.
I knew the term was going to be weaponized, creating a huge propaganda machine of going soft on crime. Police still act against crime. Maybe they aren’t the front line for mental-health issues, or parking tickets or routine traffic stops. Maybe there’s better training and better vetting of raciest thinking and beliefs.
All right, I’m done. I’ve said this in the past, and I’ll say it again: The way you write and speak fits your agenda of misinformation, and you cherry-pick instead of presenting the whole picture. Maybe you call this “Other Voices.” I don’t.
Mark Perry, Lihu‘e
2 letters, 2 victims, another beautiful day in Liberalville.
Michael, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is exactly as you describe from our Plantation roots (I grew up in Puhi), where “the Massie trial, the sugar plantations’ use of divide and conquer against laborers, and today’s fines levied against residents for “unessential water use” while tourists enjoy resort swimming pools are examples of racism and classism in Hawai‘i, which isn’t the melting pot that so many believe to exist.” Best to re-evaluate your position after thinking about what you have written. Mahalo.
Michael Miranda would like us to believe that CRT (Critical Race Theory) is not Marxist or Communist because, he says, those are socioeconomic systems. But the whole focus of Marxism and Communism is class struggle: liberating poor downtrodden people from their wealthy imperialist oppressors; convincing the proletariat to rise up and overthrow the establishment. And that is indeed what CRT is all about: consciousness-raising (i.e., propaganda). CRT focuses on race rather than social class or economics; but the outcome is the same because one racial group (Whites) is identified as privileged, wealthy and powerful, while another racial group (Blacks) is subservient, poor, and oppressed by “the system.”
CRT has been a major part of the “Hawaiian Studies” curriculum at all levels K-12 and especially in Hawaii’s public and private colleges. The mandatory one-semester course on Modern Hawaiian history, required for graduation, is a propaganda vehicle for CRT.
I published a detailed webpage about CRT in Hawaii on July 4. To find it, copy/paste the title into Google, including the quote marks:
“Critical Race Theory Hawaiian Style”
Here’s the subtitle, which summarizes the contents:
A peculiar ideological combination alleges actual Native Hawaiian victimhood; asserts Native Hawaiian inherent racial supremacy; expresses anti-u.s. and anti-white hostility; and demands Asians in Hawaii to ally with Native Hawaiians in the interest of social justice.
The main difference between CRT in Hawaii vs. CRT on the mainland is that in Hawaii the victims are Native Hawaiians rather than Blacks; but the oppressors are still the Whites; and Hawaii’s huge Asian population are told they are obligated to form an alliance in service to the Hawaiians in their effort to overthrow the Whites.
If you like racial divisiveness, race-hatred, race-nationalism, and unapologetic assertions of racial supremacy; you’ll love Critical Race Theory Hawaiian Style.
Mark Perry, I couldn’t agree more, with all of your points.
I FULLY support the Honolulu prosecutor’s decision to bring charges against the three police officers. Will they get convicted…?? Most likely not, which is disappointing. BUT, I applaud the fact that prosecutors were willing to make a statement – against the use of unnecessary violent/fatal force (the car was stopped, police fired, from behind, with no provocation!!), against FALSIFYING RECORDS (the officers provided false/misleading information ON PURPOSE!!), and against these exact things happening over and over and over with no repercussions. The criminal complaint is available to be read online. I don’t see how anyone who reads it would be willing to say these cops were not culpable.
Impulsive and trigger-happy. Unaccountable and untouchable. I don’t know how much more proof we need to tell us there is something wrong with policing nowadays…
Violation of the 1st amend. Right when the cops start snooping around. Asking question.
There is no government in communism. The class struggle means the poor remain poor and no way of getting out. A communist country, this would mean a person is born poor and remain poor and a street bum. There is no government help.
The wealthy will be those in Power. I did this about China. They were wanting democracy in 1989. But is in control by way of military. The military takes sole possession of material wealth. CCP. But their economy is big too.