Akaka’s hypocritical proposal
Hawaii’s Senator Daniel Akaka led the assault on the infamous federal takeover of the NMI while simultaneously sponsoring a proposed federal legislation to create a permanent native Hawaiian office in Washington and an interagency council to coordinate federal policy on Hawaiian programs.
The proposal is supported by the Hawaiian Delegation to the US Congress designed to “protect the 160 statutes that affect native Hawaiians in the wake of Rice vs. Cayetano decision by the US Supreme Court. That ruling overturned the lower courts in Hawaii, effectively opening up the state’s Hawaiians-only election to all state voters.
Such mind set so inherent in the proposed federal legislation is a grand tale that the author feels it perfectly within common decency to protect Hawaiians. It would seem apparent too that Senator Akaka feels it perfectly legitimate to push for legislation that would compromise the very essence of the Covenant Agreement against Chamolinians in this far-flung islands. Sir, this business of selective protection of islanders’ interest ought to embrace ALL islanders and not just Hawaiians!
In fact, if we follow the dictum so inherent in the proposed legislation, then it means that other ethnic groups across the country can legitimately push for their own specific protection. Such view is the narrowest and shallowest that I’ve seen in my lifetime. Protection, under the umbrella of justice, must include ALL US Citizens! E Pluribus Unum should be the mantra of all national policymakers who yearn to see justice descend in every American Community.
The intensity in the clamor that has emerged in our defense of our freedom in this far-flung islands far exceeds the very concerns that has troubled our brothers and sisters in beautiful Polynesia. The difficulty facing Hawaii isn’t an issue emanating from our Polynesian brothers and sisters, but others–Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Okinawans, Koreans–who toiled in the sugar cane fields of Hawaii as indentured slaves. They are also as much a part of the Aloha State as any of the indigenous Polynesians.
If you doubt my assertion, look no further than the composition of the Hawaii Delegation to the US Congress. It is comprised of a very respected gentleman of wisdom and leadership, Senator Daniel Inoue; a well-rounded leader whom I still respect though we don’t necessarily see eye to eye, Rep. Patsy Mink, and others.
It is for this reason that we must carefully tread policy matters that does nothing but promote that venomous sense of self-righteousness of being a Polynesian, Micronesian, Chamolinian and others. The very beauty and essence of the greatness of our Mother Country is founded in the unity in diversity of its people, beginning with the original immigrants from the old country. Insecurity founded on ethnicity is far from my definition of universal values.
Opportunities abound not only for Hawaiians, but every islander in our respective jurisdictions, each of whom is a US Citizen. Our rights must be the same and the notion of being a Polynesian or Chamolinian isn’t a sufficient nor legitimate scaffold to be given special rights. Again, let us promote “E Pluribus Unum”. Mahalo!
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Our country’s strength is in its ability to strengthen time honored American values, not self-concocted and labor union-driven set of warped values. Senator Akaka ought to know by now that we’ve caught up with his non-sensical and ill-conceived policy that would at best, ruin our rights to self-government; at worse, grant the same to Hawaiians. What do you make of this group of US Citizens, sir?