‘Critical and dismissive’
We found the commentary “Prejudice mars Maunakea report” by Pat Evans (Tribune-Herald, Feb. 4) extremely offensive.
Maunakea is not merely a piece of property. To put it in an easily relatable way to Evans and others, Maunakea could be considered akin to a cathedral.
The analysis of racial composition of the state or of those with Native Hawaiian blood is irrelevant. Just as mainland Native Americans are considered the first inhabitants of the continent, the Native Hawaiians were the first inhabitants of the islands, having arrived some 1,500 years prior to other “immigrants.”
Evans is wiling to sweep aside Native Hawaiian concerns in just the same way as those of mainland Native Americans have been, which is a grave injustice.
To denigrate the protesters who are camped out at the access road, who are very small in number, is unwarranted. Trashy? Their tents and surroundings are very well-kept. I don’t see any of the rampant trash that wafts around so many of the roads on this island.
Who really has the right to say what happens to a place sacred to the Native Hawaiians? Hawaii was a sovereign nation, forcefully taken from the people by America. It is outrageous that the Hawaiian people have been dismissed and ignored on island matters such as this.
We believe the answer to the problem must be a compromise, perhaps with telescopes that are no longer in use removed and the site restored as well as possible, with no new construction on untouched open space. The telescopes aren’t going to be removed any time soon, so reality has to be recognized and compromise found.
Money should never overrule doing the right thing and treating people decently. Others with greater expertise in the issues involved should weigh in on this subject.
In the meantime, the author of this piece should deeply reconsider their ideas about these islands, read the true history, and try to understand the feelings of the Kanaka Maoli about what Maunakea means and why they should be the ones who decide what happens on their mauna, instead of being so critical and dismissive of them and their place here.
Karen and Timothy Cooper
Hilo
Campaign donations
Mahalo nui loa, Noelie Rodrigues (Tribune-Herald, Feb. 13), my former colleague at Hawaii Community College, community conscience holder and activist, for bringing to light yet another shining example of how campaign finance in this country, this island state and even in our Hawaii Island county/community is rotting the core values of democracy, the simple, yet perhaps not so simply applied tenet that government is of, for and by the people.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Democracy is a rule of the people, for the people and by the people.” It means that democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people. The citizens of the country elect the government to rule the country, and the elected government works for the welfare of the people.
Mayor Mitch Roth should start espousing democratic principles or he may find the people pissed off and waiting to dump him at the next available opportunity.
In Hawaii, we have unique laws that protect the maka‘ainana and their rights! Malama pono!
J. Kekumuwai Peralto
Hilo
