No moral courage
Congratulations to Sen. Lorraine Inouye for calling out her political colleagues (and our representatives) for their duplicity and lack of action on resolving the Thirty Meter Telescope standoff.
In addition to Gov. David Ige and Mayor Harry Kim, the actions of the Hawaii County Council are contemptuous.
Six members of the council voted for a construction moratorium — in violation of the rule of law. In fact, they are closet opponents of TMT but are unwilling to expose themselves to the consequences of their actions. Seventy-five percent of their constituents support the TMT project and will toss them from office next November — if their anti-TMT sentiments are exposed.
The “Gang of Six” represent the worst of our democracy. The TMT project is the most consequential economic and scientific stimulus for Hawaii County in decades, and the decades to come. Yet, the “Gang of Six” lacks the moral courage to truly represent their constituents and support the rule of law.
Hawaii County is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every week on traffic control and security supporting an illegal action. Meanwhile, the “Gang of Six” sits on their hands, doing nothing to resolve a standoff for which they are largely responsible.
Kenneth Beilstein
Kailua-Kona
‘We can’t go back’
This letter is inspired by Sen. Lorraine Inouye’s letters about the Maunakea blockade.
I am still in the dark about the 13 telescopes already in place on the mountain. Is it the intent of the sacred mountain folks to have them removed, or are they somehow OK where they are, and if so, why is it OK? This boils down to indigenous people being robbed of their land and now wanting it and total sovereignty returned.
Since the Big Island has the most Native Hawaiians living here on the island, maybe the entire island could become the Kingdom of Hawaii. Of course, we nonnatives would want a fair market price for our ownership of private lands, and businesses would have to figure out their survival under sovereign rule.
I am assuming that the pro-sovereignty folks are ready to survive without the state of federal government’s funding and that island industry can support the new sovereign government. Yep, another government rule, but this one by the sovereign kingdom.
We can’t go back, and without agreement, we don’t seem to be moving forward either.
What outcomes do islanders want? No TMT construction? No telescopes on the mountain at all? What money is available for their dismantling? If the mountain is sacred, then let all nonsacred structures be removed. Otherwise the mountain will remain defiled even if TMT is banned.
By the way, I see that NATO has a radar sight in the place where the temple of the god Baal once stood atop Mt. Hermon in Israel. Wonder how that happened and if it was protested?
Pat Wendt
Pahoa