Editorial
'Iolani Palace no place for flap over U.S. flag

So Gov. Ben Cayetano has dropped his cause to hoist the U.S. flag regularly over 'Iolani Palace.

And Alice Guild, executive director of the Friends of 'Iolani Palace, says she never meant to apologize for raising the Stars and Stripes in sympathy for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Guild now says she meant to apologize for her failure to provide background information and staff input before the board's Sept. 27 approval to display the U.S. flag above the palace for 30 days, alongside the Hawaiian flag.

We really don't know what Guild intended. But when you start apologizing for apologizing, you know it's time to stop apologizing.

First of all, we can't see the big crime in raising Old Glory to honor the fallen, but we can see how some might object. After all, by tradition, the Hawaiian flag is usually flown alone at the palace.

Many Hawaiian nationalists regard the former seat of the Hawaiian monarchy as their sovereign sanctuary. The U.S. flag symbolizes the overthrow and removal of that sovereignty.

It's like the old Confederate flag flying atop the state Capitol in South Carolina; it means different things to different people.

As for those who want to see Old Glory flying over 'Iolani Palace at all times, this is a war not worth fighting.

It was a sign of good faith to fly the Stars and Stripes to demonstrate compassion and support for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But let's not turn 'Iolani Palace into a battleground over patriotism, because as this flap over the flag has illustrated, patriotism means different things to different people.