Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 4, 1 April 2001 — Hostility, racism [ARTICLE]

Hostility, racism

What gives, Mr. Conklin? What don't you understand about the sovereignty issues and rights of the Kanaka Maoli to independence and self-determination free from politieal and legal harassment from non-Native Hawaiians, who are more interested in political glory and building political empires on the ruins of Native Hawaiian dreams and aspirations than solving the real social, eeonomie and heakh problems directly stemming from the coups d'etat and the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai'i without the consent of the kanaka maoli of these islands? For a man who likes going around bragging about your knowledge of the Hawaiian language, culture and history of these islands, and enjoys repeating flowery poetic phrases out of context, why do you feel so mueh political animosity toward the kanaka maoli that comes close to personal hostility, if not racism? You elaim that you support equality under the law, but you are determined to undermine the very state programs that would make equal access possible. Why? Why can't you understand that equality under the law means equal

access to the law also? Without equal access to the law, any talk of equality is totally meaningless. James Petersen Kalihi