Posted on: Saturday, January 22, 2005
Letters to the Editor
Indefatigable Scoops gave much of herself
Bob Krauss wrote so well about Scoops Casey (Our Honolulu, Wednesday).
In an endlessly entertaining way, Scoops clued us F.O.B. haoles as to what was what. She was a giver, not a power broker, yet she had tangible power.
She was pals with all the top labor people, some of heroic size. She covered the National Democratic Convention in 1960 and came home thrilled by Patsy Mink's great impromptu speech for the civil rights plank.
When her husband Brian ran for the City Council, she campaigned with the truck drivers and garbage workers. People couldn't get enough of her, and Brian ran off with the election.
Scoops slept maybe an hour or two a night. You could go by her house at midnight and talk as long as you wanted. She was a great churning force of warm voice, roaring laughter, bountiful energy and memorable reflection.
We all loved you, Scoops.
Tom Coffman
Regarding George Avlonitis' Jan. 18 letter "Hawaiian claims don't hold up": His first comment is that the apology resolution does not admit that the Hawaiians have a claim to 1.8 million acres of ceded lands. The apology resolution, which was adopted by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1993 and remains good law, states:
"Whereas, the Republic of Hawaii also ceded 1,800,000 acres of crown, government and public lands of the Kingdom of Hawaii, without the consent of or compensation to the Native Hawaiian people of Hawaii or their sovereign government;
"Whereas, the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum."
His second comment is that the ceded lands cannot be given to the Hawaiians because those lands were paid for by the United States. This is not true, according to the apology resolution. It is undisputed that there is no agreement that resolves the Hawaiian claim for loss of lands as a result of the overthrow. Further, the apology resolution describes the 1893 event as "the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893."
His third comment is that historic Hawaiian kings mistreated the people, kept too much land for themselves and put the Hawaiian government in debt. Like the history of all nations, most of the past is good and some of it is not. However, even if some of our past is not perfect, that does not justify or remedy the overthrow.
Bill Meheula
In the Jan. 7 article "McCain could block vote on Native Hawaiian bill," you noted that the U.S. senator stated that when Hawai'i attained statehood, "there was an implicit agreement at that time that Native Hawaiians would not receive the same status as Native Americans."
I also oppose the bill, but for different reasons than McCain, who has it wrong. As a condition of admission to the union, Hawaiian entitlements were to be protected by the state of Hawai'i. The State Admission Act details five purposes for the income from the leases of the so-called ceded lands (which were stolen from the kingdom of Hawai'i), including "the betterment of the conditions of Native Hawaiians."
Also, the Hawai'i Constitution states that these lands shall be held by the state in trust for Native Hawaiians and the general public, which means that the designation of Native Hawaiians as beneficiaries of the trust shows that they are entitled to benefits over and above any other state citizens. These trust benefits are the least of our entitlements because our unadjudicated sovereignty claims expose the lack of federal title to any of those lands in the first place.
J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Reading the endless complaints about lack of redemption centers makes it obvious that our fearless leaders' lawmaking is seriously flawed, requiring 5 cents deposit and then not setting up sufficient and efficient centers for redeeming them.
One of the writers, in reporting his difficulties, inadvertently has provided the solution to the problem, when he refused to buy a case of soda because the supermarket would not redeem the deposits: Just stop buying sodas and other canned and bottled goods that you can really do without, for a while anyway, and you'll see how amazingly fast the supermarkets will set up means of redeeming the deposits.
Ted Chernin
On Jan. 12, while walking from my doctor's office to the bus, I tripped and fell on 4th Avenue near Wai'alae. As this was on an incline, I had a very bad fall, scraping my knees, hands and wrists and getting a small cut on the forehead. I had sprained my wrists and was unable to get up.
Within a minute, two vehicles stopped, and the occupants began assisting me. As I asked them to not call an ambulance, they lifted me up, put a grocery cart on its side so that I could sit, then attended to my injuries.
Unfortunately, I did not get the third person's name; however, the other two rescuers (angels) were a young couple, Marie Walstrum and Sam Delbano, who finished up by driving me home and ensuring I was all right.
As a frequent visitor from Canada to this beautiful island, it is reassuring to know that the aloha spirit continues and that the younger generation still holds respect for their elders. A sincere mahalo.
Bud Flanagan
Honolulu
Apology resolution rebuts false claims
Honolulu
Hawaiians already have entitlements
Middleton, Conn.
Stop buying sodas and solve the problem
Punahou
Younger generation came to the rescue
Honolulu
