No leg to stand on
During Feb. 17 news broadcast by Hawaii News Now, you will hear Noe Noe Wong-Wilson say, “We alone are responsible of what happens up there on the mauna.” Remember your own words, Wong-Wilson, when it comes time to flip the bill for all that irreversible damage that your group “alone” managed to do.
That was the most honest statement coming from the Kia‘i since this entire fiasco began.
And as expected, Mayor Harry Kim is wanting yet another extension of the moratorium agreement. Because this time he promises to speak to all the parties (eye-roll). I believe Gov. Ige and Kim are stalling until their time in office is up so they don’t have to make a decision. Leave it for the next group of politicians to work out in other words.
I don’t believe another extension should be granted, since the Legislature agreed that a blue ribbon committee be formed so that the indigenous Native Hawaiians can bring their historical and political issues to the table legally and appropriately without using the Thirty Meter Telescope as their scapegoat.
The issues of the Hawaiians are not and should not be TMT’s kuleana. Period. So reopen the access road for everybody, including TMT. Because I think we would all agree that religion and/or religious beliefs should not dictate or override the supreme laws of the land.
The Kia‘i keep telling us that they are simply exercising their First Amendment right. However, the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution says that everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all. And, our country’s founders knew that the best way to protect religious liberty was to keep the government out of religion all together. So they created the First Amendment — to guarantee the separation of church and state.
The establishment clause of the First Amendment prohibits government from encouraging, promoting or establishing a religion in any way. That’s why we don’t have an official religion of the United States. This means that the government may not give financial support to any religion.
Therefore, the taxpayers should not be held liable for the expenditures up at the mauna. Something I have been complaining about since Day One.
So, I’m asking that our state leaders exercise their 14th Amendment right by recognizing the amendment’s first section, which includes several clauses such as the citizenship clause, privileges or immunities clause, due process clause, and equal protection clause. Because as far as I can see it, the Kia‘i do not have a leg to stand on.
Last card played? Doubt it. As I’m sure they will find another excuse to justify their unlawful actions and behavior.
Lisa Malakaua
Hilo