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Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A Journalist Learns About the Akaka Bill
I was talking to a sophisticated local journalist on Sunday about the Akaka bill. I showed him a letter from Senator Dan Inouye which contained this statement, "Once the Hawaiian governing entity is formed, S. 147 [Akaka bill] provides authority for the United States to enter into negotiations with the Native Hawaiian governing entity to address such matters as the transfer of lands and natural resources now held in trust by the State of Hawaii for Native Hawaiians and is subject to enforcement by the United States..."
The journalist's response was, "You mean there would be another government in Hawaii?" Then he said rhetorically, "Don't we have enough government already?"
With that I showed him the individual island maps of the potential property to be "negotiated" by bureaucrats to go to the new "entity".
He was incredulous, saying "this is to be done by the US Congress without permission of the people of Hawaii?"
My answer to him, "yes, indeed, our Governor is lobbying Congress to pass it."
If this fully aware journalist was uninformed, think of all the others who must be confused or unaware. Print out a copy of the state map. Put it on the wall, look at it often.
In the same letter from Senator Inouye, he concludes, "Federal recognition would bring us one step closer to righting the wrongs…" This sound like much more than "recognition" to us. One step Senator? How many steps are there to be? Is this the first step of 1000 miles? Or, are we to hot step into perpetuity? The wrongs we did are to righted over and over and over? This is not just hard to understand, it is mind-boggling!
This is not just a Hawaii issue. The implications are enormous. And proponents say they have 53 votes in the US Senate!
For more information on the Akaka Bill and its ramifications go here, and here and here.
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