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December 05, 2006
The Ninth Circuit Strikes Again
The 9th Circuit court has ruled that a school can exclude all but native Hawaiians from attending. (Ruling here - pdf)
Last year, when a bill largely seen as a move toward Hawaiian sovereignty was being debated, I wrote a column about it. A relevant excerpt:
According to an op-ed in the New York Times, “the bill would allow native Hawaiians - defined, in part, as anyone with indigenous ancestors living in the islands before the kingdom fell - to elect a governing body that would negotiate with the federal government over land and other natural resources and assets.” Given the value of real estate in Hawaii, there are millions of dollars at stake in this deal.If history is any guide, the Ninth will be overturned on this ruling, but given the growing strength of the Hawaii sovereignty movement, this is not the last we'll hear of this sort of thing.The op-ed writer calls the bill 'a chance to heal,' and says it is needed because of the growing unrest and hostility among younger Hawaiians.
I lived in Hawaii for three years, from 1987 to 1990, and saw firsthand the 'hostility and resentment' of the youth who are likely now the ones now leading the charge on this bill, which I think is a first step toward trying to achieve Hawaiian sovereignty. You'd be hostile as well, if your parents, grandparents and schools had done nothing but feed you a steady stream of anti-statehood propaganda.
Much of the anger has its roots in how Hawaii became a state. To be completely honest, they may have a point. The Hawaiian monarchy fell as a result of a conspiracy involving businessmen acting with the consent and assistance of the federal government. Hawaii was officially annexed by the United States in 1898. It was officially made a state in 1959.
The behavior of the United States, however, should not lead to the formation of a government founded on the principle that past grievances can only be righted with legalized prejudice and favoritism.
Posted by slublog at December 5, 2006 07:23 PM
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