Important points
In today's paper, Edwin Ramos wrote in response to Rolf Nordahl, Bob Gould and Thurston Twigg-Smith's attempts to try to twist the truth to fit their paradigm. I like this letter and agree with him. Here is his letter:
COLOR THE DEBATE RED, WHITE AND BROWN
Being part-Hawaiian, I didn't want to get involved with the Akaka bill debate because I knew the role color played would eventually come to the surface, and here it is.
Letters by Rolf Nordahl, Bob Gould and Thurston Twigg-Smith that deny Americans overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy remind me of how some people deny that the Holocaust ever happened.
And maybe the American warship Boston, docked in Honolulu's harbor, was sitting there to intimidate the white businessmen (or "revolutionists," as Twigg-Smith likes to refer to them) into giving up their economic grip over Hawai'i and its people.
Thinking back to that era when women and blacks were denied even the basic rights of citizenship, and civilized "white" Americans slept well with the indigenous "red" Americans safely placed on Indian reservations, it's hard for me to believe that the president of that era would go against his people's popular way of thinking to put the concerns of poor "brown" Hawaiians over those of rich "white" businessmen. He may have denounced the businessmen (i.e. revolutionists), but he did nothing to reconcile their actions.
The USS Boston, in plain view of the Hawaiian people, was a constant reminder of the power behind these businessmen. To suggest that Hawaiians didn't notice this overt "presence of military might" can only be attributed to someone's overly developed sense of denial. The indirect use of military might not only played a vital part in the overthrow, it secured it.
Edwin Ramos
Kalihi
Seen at http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051116/OPINION02/511160316/1104
Also I challenge other people to keep reading books. This includes other Hawaiians too :) I'm also pau with another one. Only about 20 pages to go.
Edit: To clarify something about Rolf Nordahl he had written this in response to Thurston Twigg Smith:
Aloha,
Twigg-Smith said:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very few of the sovereignty goals can be reached without the help of the majority of Hawaii's people and our goal is to get people to realize that working together a lot of things can be accomplished and time saved. Without the support of the majority, the Hawaiians are fighting a losing battle and wasting a lot of time. So we all need to look for avenues where we can work together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
self-determination is a right that belongs to all the people of Hawai`i. What many in the movement are concerned about involves economic independence more than it depends upon political independence.
We can be thankful that this is one of very few (too few) active sovereignty conflicts in the world with no bloodshed. It is an intellectual pursuit. The Hawaiian way revolves upon consensus. That consensus should be reached with participation of all of Hawai`i's peoples.
The view from Waikiki Beach
Rolf Nordahl
rolf@kingdom.org
Seen here http://www.hawaiimatters.com/bulletinboard/postings/956359993.204.210.117.144.html
I disagree. It's the consensus of oiwi as it pertains to Hawaiian sovereignty NOT only all of Hawaii's people but the consensus of oiwi. Hawaiians have rights too. His assertion does not seem to support that and that they are unique from the consensus of other people in Hawaii whether it be online, offline, in discussions, on tv, on radio, etc. The consensus of oiwi or "Hawaiians" are significant and important when it comes to Hawaiian sovereignty.
COLOR THE DEBATE RED, WHITE AND BROWN
Being part-Hawaiian, I didn't want to get involved with the Akaka bill debate because I knew the role color played would eventually come to the surface, and here it is.
Letters by Rolf Nordahl, Bob Gould and Thurston Twigg-Smith that deny Americans overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy remind me of how some people deny that the Holocaust ever happened.
And maybe the American warship Boston, docked in Honolulu's harbor, was sitting there to intimidate the white businessmen (or "revolutionists," as Twigg-Smith likes to refer to them) into giving up their economic grip over Hawai'i and its people.
Thinking back to that era when women and blacks were denied even the basic rights of citizenship, and civilized "white" Americans slept well with the indigenous "red" Americans safely placed on Indian reservations, it's hard for me to believe that the president of that era would go against his people's popular way of thinking to put the concerns of poor "brown" Hawaiians over those of rich "white" businessmen. He may have denounced the businessmen (i.e. revolutionists), but he did nothing to reconcile their actions.
The USS Boston, in plain view of the Hawaiian people, was a constant reminder of the power behind these businessmen. To suggest that Hawaiians didn't notice this overt "presence of military might" can only be attributed to someone's overly developed sense of denial. The indirect use of military might not only played a vital part in the overthrow, it secured it.
Edwin Ramos
Kalihi
Seen at http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051116/OPINION02/511160316/1104
Also I challenge other people to keep reading books. This includes other Hawaiians too :) I'm also pau with another one. Only about 20 pages to go.
Edit: To clarify something about Rolf Nordahl he had written this in response to Thurston Twigg Smith:
Aloha,
Twigg-Smith said:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Very few of the sovereignty goals can be reached without the help of the majority of Hawaii's people and our goal is to get people to realize that working together a lot of things can be accomplished and time saved. Without the support of the majority, the Hawaiians are fighting a losing battle and wasting a lot of time. So we all need to look for avenues where we can work together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
self-determination is a right that belongs to all the people of Hawai`i. What many in the movement are concerned about involves economic independence more than it depends upon political independence.
We can be thankful that this is one of very few (too few) active sovereignty conflicts in the world with no bloodshed. It is an intellectual pursuit. The Hawaiian way revolves upon consensus. That consensus should be reached with participation of all of Hawai`i's peoples.
The view from Waikiki Beach
Rolf Nordahl
rolf@kingdom.org
Seen here http://www.hawaiimatters.com/bulletinboard/postings/956359993.204.210.117.144.html
I disagree. It's the consensus of oiwi as it pertains to Hawaiian sovereignty NOT only all of Hawaii's people but the consensus of oiwi. Hawaiians have rights too. His assertion does not seem to support that and that they are unique from the consensus of other people in Hawaii whether it be online, offline, in discussions, on tv, on radio, etc. The consensus of oiwi or "Hawaiians" are significant and important when it comes to Hawaiian sovereignty.