Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 12, 1 December 2000 — Discussion Forum [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Discussion Forum

www.OHA.org

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' discussion forum is at www.OHA.org. The purpose of the forum is to share different points of view on issues important to the Hawaiian community. In the few months since its inception, lively exchanges have begun on federal recognition, sovereignty and Forbes Cave. Divergent opinions have been posted by participants anonymousty using their real names or taking such online identities as Takspayr and Commoner. The forum is open to all. Participants ean access existing messages, post their own message or set up a new topic to be discussed. To enter the discussion, go to www.OHA.org.

Hawaiian bill, Me, 10-30 I am part Hawaiian, Asian, and European. I am at the same time the "oppressor" and the "oppressed." To despise one group or the other would be to despise myself. I have, therefore, learned to form opinions from a factual basis. Being a student at a very liberal arts school, my views are challenged daily. I have thus learned to revise them often by learning as mueh about the issue(s) at hand. Although I ean never be in the same situations as my peers, I strive to learn as mueh about them as possible. I feel for all sides of the issues being discussed here, but, I encourage everyone to look at these from a historical, eeonomieal, factual, analytical perspective. As one of my professors who studies racism said yesterday: "this is a very emotional issue. To make a good thesis you must fīrst present a factual study. Only after this is proven ean you bring in the emotion." I encourage everyone. whomever he or she may be to take a step back, take a deep breath, study the issues at hand, and retum to the discussion room. I know my tears will flow less freely if this happens. Mahalo nui. Goemans new law suit Tane, 11-3 Since Cayetano is bent on destroying the Hawaiian community. 1 decided to vote for those mnning for OHA who were not reinstated or appointed by him. Also, is late filing to run for a seat in office a eommon practice? I thought if you missed the cut-off date ...you snooze... you lose; and wait for the next elections. If they couldn't find time to register to nin for election what makes us think they will have time for us and our issues! Cayetano

reinstated those that he could control and that's why I voted for Trask so she ean be the biggest pain in his 'okole. Besides I find her very intelligent, knowledgeable, and not afraid to speak out. I know the media is out to get her just like they did with Fasi. They don't like s***- stirrers; only compliant "yes peopl." We need more people like Trask to speak out, well, maybe not with so mueh name-calling, but outspoken. I believe some things she said were taken out of context purposely to character assassinate her. She definitely gets my vote! Form of government Sharon Forsythe, 11-16 The issue is, "Get the Hawaiians back on the land!" Period! No more welfare, food stamps, violence, poverty! There is money to assist the Hawaiians. My question is, why do we, the people, keep electing the same people into office, even after many years of non-productive merry-go-round type of politics! Hawaiians were raped of their heritage many years ago ... Hawaiians were not allowed to speak their own mother tongue. They became slaves in their own land, working for pennies, so that others may prosper. They taught their children to think like the foreigners, because they were told that it was for the best. Everyone knows that already! So what ean be done to heal the past? Must we continue to use smoke screens to evade the real issues? Who, in position, has the mentality, and divine intuitiveness to help the peoples to move on? Who will hear, listen, and help the Hawaiian people? Who in office, whether it be in DHHL, OHA, Bishop Estate...who, will help the people of Hawaiian ancestry?

Whieh one of you brave Hawaiian warriors, now elected to office, will follow the lead of your conscience? Sovereignty Takspayr, 11-16 My priority is not "the land." My priority is God, family and country. Everything else is secondary. There have been hundreds of thousands of Americans who gave their lives in every war and conflict since our war for independence from Britain. It is the reason we are prosperous as a nation and people; it is the reason we have the liberty and freedom to disagree; it is the reason we ean communicate in cyberspace; it is the reason you have the freedom to pursue your version of justice. Sovereignty Ho'oponopono, 11-16 When it comes down to it land affects all of your priorities. Basic facts, Hawai'i is land and America is in control of it. Being that it is Hawai'i, and Hawaiians are indigenous to the land, they should be entitled to govern what becomes of them on their land, Hawai'i. The American government has not acknowledged the fact that Hawaiians are poliīieal entities that are entitled to be recognized as the indigenous people of Hawai'i. Sovereignty, Tane, 11-17 The issue we are taking up in this discussion, though, is country. Where a lot of us are concerned is the fact that our kupuna's voice was ignored by the U.S. Their voice and desire should be acknowledged; they had that right. Their ehoiee should have been respected. That legacy was passed down to us. We there-

fore have a right to express ourselves and our concems. We have the right to make a cognizant right to choose the style of government; whether it's to continue as a state of the U.S., freely associated state, independent, nation within a nation, or whatever we choose. It's our prerogative. I think many of us, Hawaiians, locals and outsiders have a misconception of the Hawaiians' intent. It's an issue we all have to mull over and evaluate; but when we are attacked, we are compelled to defend our position or to keep things on tract with facts for a better understanding. All govemments have their downside, nothing's perfect. This is why we have to commit to be involved to make it better. Sovereignty, Kaulana, 11-19 You have no source to prove that King Kamehameha's motives were influenced by the haole. Although he did indeed interact with them we have no knowledge if they encouraged his take-over of the other islands. I find it interesting that you attack the character of the first man to unite the Hawaiian people. What you search for is the union of sovereignty groups; yet you attack the first man to unite the Hawaiians under one nation. These different sovereignty groups mueh like the separate island kingdoms that existed prior to Kamehameha's expedition do not have one leader. I agree with you in that the sovereignty groups must "unite as one." However, how is that to be done? Kamehameha was a man with vision. He understood the importance of a Hawaiian union. The real question is who will achieve that union today without bloodshed? And onee created will uneducated people then criticize that leader? ■