Statehood Day Holiday

[sinjin]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Let's see. Gather up a trained military force, with new technologies that your enemies have not yet acquired, travel far across an ocean, attack and kill the inhabitants in the name of unity/peace/power struggle/ego gratification/deity servitude/pre-emptive worry.

Kalanikupule had rifles and cannon.

Seems to me the only difference is that the good citizens of Oahu never attacked Hawaii.

Kalanikupule also had his own plan to attack the island of Hawaii.

Oh Sinjin, you are so fun.

I am here to learn. You?

That ought to get your tail feathers ruffled. Truth is a dish best served with sarcasm and condescension.

You haven't served any as best as I can tell.

With respect to women and children being killed by Kamehameha's actions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamalahoe

[anapuni808]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Here are 3 more videos that were filmed at `Iolani Palace on Friday:

on institutionalized racism and white privilege...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd1o-wKh9bk

on being grateful to be able to get home loans...(aargh...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Xn7bu8rxE

william burgess on 'playing by the same rules'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viTa-by_X38

Maybe these will make some on here feel a little more comfortable to see that both sides are represented in the filming. You know - gotta make sure that government funded equipment was used fairly

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Back in 1972 I remember doing a bike a thon (as a child) on admission's day that ended at the Iolani Palace where there was a day long celebration with the Royal Hawaiian band and various state officials making their campaign speeches (election year) at that very site during the Burns/Ariyoshi administration. Years earlier in the late 60's during the Burns re-election campaign he held rallys at the Iolani Palace giving out patriotic sewing kits (looked like a book of matches). I still got one.

It seems that before the 100th Anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy, the Iolani Palace was THE place to do all of the state government rallys and campaigns.

Now with the knowledge of the overthrow and the subsequent annexation and statehood information being put out for public digestion, it would seem improper to continue to have these kinds of events at such hallowed grounds.

But in all fairness to both sides, I can feel the frustrations of those objectors at that event but to target the children was blatently wrong.

However one should understand the roots of those frustrations to better realize the feeling of dispair among the Hawaiians and this event was one that really sent the wrong message despite the intent. What Slom did was wrong, but his event wasn't the first of it's kind held at that very spot.

What made it wrong was the fact that with the historical knowledge being presented during his tenure as a senator, the sensitivity of this matter becomes heightened and therefore such acts become malicious instead of ignorant. He knew that this event would spark controversy because of his knowledge of what has been uncovered in the last few decades.

Slom was wrong for picking the Iolani Palace for his venue. The objectors were wrong to pick innocent children to communicate their message. These were all adults acting like children and the end result was the fact that the real children were the true victims.

I truly believe that nobody won that day. Slom lost the flavor of the event, the objectors with their obscene words in the presence of adolescents lost the respect of would be supporters, and the marching band with all the kids had to hear and see these adults act the way they did. Is this how we are supposed to raise our keiki?

Final score: no score

[Jewlipino]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Thank you for making my point without realizing it. So I will have to explain it to you.

It would be stupid. The only reason politicians would celebrate the 4th of July on a sacred area of an Indian Reservation would be to PISS OFFF the Indians. There wouldn't be any other reason.

But, in the case of the Statehood/Admissions Day shindig at the Palace there is historical precedent to do so absent of any intent to "piss off" anyone. Granted the organizers probably did realize that they were setting the stage for a possible confrontation. The situation is much different from the Indian Reservation scenario because the United States has no historical moment to commemorate on a reservation having to do with July 4th!

And that is exactly what Slom and his gang of Hawaiian Wannabees were doing, trying to PISS OFFFF Hawaiians.

So your right. It was "Pretty darn stupid" and "nonsensical" to hold the rally at Iolani Palace as opposed to the State Capitol.

Shheeesh, gotta explain everything to some people.

At least we agree on something Kamuelakea: Sen. Slom, Burgess, and company are at best culturally insensitive, and at worst intentionally provoked the Hawaiian community. They're probably somewhere in the middle, but who am I to say so.

What concerns me is that an opportunity for dialogue was missed in the midst of people talking AT and not TO each other on both sides of the discussion. The Slom-ites don't understand the sense of loss felt by younger members of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement (just speaking from observation, didn't see any kupuna in the video), and the Hawaiians at the demonstration did not understand that the Slom-ites are just as proud of THEIR country and heritage as the Hawaiians are of their lost Kingdom. It seems like some of the activists came angry and came looking for an argument instead of coming to discuss and persuade. It's hardly a surprise that those who came angry and came looking for an argument found willing counterparts among the Slom-ites. Watch the videos and look at the body language going on especially on the part of the activists. Anyone would get defensive in such an environment, thus no dialogue is established and the situation is unchanged. I've been on the receiving end of this sort of behavior and it is not conducive to advancing the Hawaiians cause. When people get frustrated and start pointing fingers, calling names, and implying that theirs is the only RIGHT perspective there is no discussion and takes on the dimension of asking someone to take their word on faith alone.

Jewlipino

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

sunovagun I ignored this thread because, eh, statehood *yawn*. Seven pages into it and I gotta take notice. Pinging myself here so that I can come back to it....

[Paul]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Now with the knowledge of the overthrow and the subsequent annexation and statehood information being put out for public digestion, it would seem improper to continue to have these kinds of events at such hallowed grounds.

It's funny how people's attitudes change over time but I don't believe the knowledge of the overthrow caused this change. Don't tell me this wasn't known back in the 60's and 70's. It is and was written about in all the history books I read in social studies when I was a kid. There was no propaganda campaign to cover it up. Something else caused this change. Just in the recent past, the Kanaka Maoli were not so nationalistic. Now some of them sound like Heinreich Himmler with his nazi creed of blood and soil. Himmler believed the German people had a deep spiritual connection to the land that only they could understand.

[anapuni808]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Craig, with all due respect to your feelings - I ride the bus everyday with students like the ones from Kalani. Believe me, the language I hear coming out of their mouths on a daily basis makes whatever words were used at Friday's event seem VERY TAME!! I asked a young girl wearing a Stevenson T-shirt one day if she talked that way (F*** seemed to be every other word) in front of her parents and she first gave me stink eye & then said "yeah, so what?" Now I just wear my IPod headphones & ignore them.

[kamuelakea]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

The victors in war have always USED the symbols of the defeated. Whether its placing the skulls of their victims in their house or raping their women or melting their statues.

The reason the Palace was used as a GOVERNMENT building was to ensure that the new generation understood that the Monarchy was PAU. It is and was a form of psychological warfare. And it worked! It did help to fool Hawaiians for 100 years.

[Paul]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

The victors in war have always USED the symbols of the defeated. Whether its placing the skulls of their victims in their house or raping their women or melting their statues.

The reason the Palace was used as a GOVERNMENT building was to ensure that the new generation understood that the Monarchy was PAU. It is and was a form of psychological warfare. And it worked! It did help to fool Hawaiians for 100 years.

So now Hawaiians like you have suddenly come awake! This is the change in attitude I was talking about. What caused it?

Hawai`i Erwache!

[anapuni808]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

I think maybe what caused the change in attitude by Hawaiians was when the US formally apologized for taking part in the Overthrow and admitted they were wrong in having done so. and then the United Churches of Christ (Missionary churches) apologized also for supporting the overthrow. Do you suppose that may have started the ball rolling? Huh - do ya?

[1stwahine]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Hawai`i Erwache!

"Hawai`i Erwache!"
This is a desecration to the extreme.

"Germany Awake" is the slogan on the Adolf Hitler Führer Third Reich SA Deutschland Erwache Standard flag, the Original flag design by Adolf Hitler.

From 1920 to 1945, all Stormtroops carried their own standard to give their members a sense of cohesion within the larger S.A. (Sturmabteilung) organization. These flags carried the words, “Deutschland Erwache”, or “Germany Awake”, after a famous poem of the same name by the noted author and early National Socialist, Dietrich Eckhart. Standards such as these flew over the Stormtroopers in many a pitched street battle in their fourteen-year struggle for power, and were later prominently displayed at the immense mass-rallies that characterized the Third Reich. The "Germany Awake" flag is the most powerful National Socialist / Nazi flag symbol of them all.

Da nerve!!!!!

"Paul" is directly equating the activists with one of the most evil, heinous individuals the world has ever known; Himmler... and with storm troopers. How denigrating. To see this kinda junk on 'our' chat room, where we supposed to be talking story of Hawaii and its 'issues' and struggles. To have someone come in and say the kanaka maoli activists trying to retain SOME dignity for the original populace of these trod upon islands. And especially the Memory of Queen Liliuokalani. To have him imply any connection of these historic personages of Hawaii and contemporary keepers of the flame.... with Himmler, the Father of the concentration camp, the "architect of genocide,"the Nazi leader who facilitated Adolf Hitler's decision to implement the Final Solution to the Jewish question, and many other programs of ethnic cleansing that destroyed millions of lives through World War II. Is absolutely the most infamous, slanderous, insensitive thing ever heard here.


Auntie Lynn

[Konaguy]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Maybe these will make some on here feel a little more comfortable to see that both sides are represented in the filming. You know - gotta make sure that government funded equipment was used fairly

Mahalo nui for posting these links to the videos.

[kamuelakea]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

So now Hawaiians like you have suddenly come awake! This is the change in attitude I was talking about. What caused it?

Hawai`i Erwache!

Your Nazi comparison means you don't deserve a response. But it's still a good question. Probably too good in that it is too complex to answer on any blog thread.

It is not unusual for the first generation of immigrants to long for their homeland, the second to shun their heritage in an effort to assimilate and "fit in", and for the third generation to revert back to the ways of their ancestors in a struggle to understand their grandparents.

Sometimes, it is this 3rd generation that rises up to right the wrongs or to improve upon the strife and struggles of their grandparents. It's a fact of human history really.

In the same way, I think that the 3rd generation of Hawaiians was ripe for activism. Then there are too many other factors to add. Kamehameha Schools had slowly improved its academic emphasis, graduating more and more college bound seniors who would appreciate intellectual challenge.

Some attribute the "spark" of the Hawaiian Renaissance to John Dominis Holt who wrote "On Being Hawaiian", one of the first open, public self analysis on what it meant to be Hawaiian in a modern, mostly non-Hawaiian state of Hawaii in 1970. The American 60's movements energized Hawaiian youth of the time to begin to see the power of protest and encouraged them to become more active. The protect Kahoolawe Ohana was formed.

So I don't find it unusual at all that it's taken 3 generations. I think that's to be expected.

I know that in most parts of this god forsaken world, the attitude would be "Shut up Hawaiians, you lost, we won", but I believe America is a better place and someday will realize and recognize the mistakes it made in the past and make thing right, pono. I don't hate America, I, like Liliuokalani, believe in her and hope that she will someday do what is right.

[Keanu]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

"Hawai`i Erwache!"
This is a desecration to the extreme.

"Germany Awake" is the slogan on the Adolf Hitler Führer Third Reich SA Deutschland Erwache Standard flag, the Original flag design by Adolf Hitler.

I read it "Hawai'i Earwax". I didn't understand it at first.

[timkona]

Re: Statehood Day Holiday

Are there any royal lineage descendants?

Who are they? Why don't we know who they are? I would love to know. Have they tired of the fight? Lord knows it must be a little tough to carry the weight of a monarchy on your shoulders. I'm sure it's a blessing & a curse.

Seems to me that the sovereignty movement would have a little more oomph if the royal family was somehow leading the fight. Or at least publicly promoted and acknowledged.

For once, I'm neither being logical nor argumentative. I hope I get a good answer.

It's curious that old buildings used for government function can somehow be separated by the mere fact of who the leaders are. Every society has viewed their leaders with a certain amount of distrust. Does it matter if it's a king or a governor or a dictator? Takes tax money to build them no matter how you slice it.