FINGER-POINTERS

GOV. LINGLE WORKED HARD FOR AKAKA BILL

This is in response to Martin Rice, chairman of the Democratic Party of Kaua'i, who is pointing his finger at our Gov. Linda Lingle regarding the Akaka bill. Martin, you need to point your finger in the right direction.

The old-boy network in the Democratic Party in D.C. has been on board for a number of years, including our previous Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano. That is where you should point your finger.

If you read The Honolulu Advertiser daily, you'll note that Lingle doesn't sit on her 'okole all day long. She has made several trips to D.C. pertaining to the Akaka bill, met with OHA frequently, and is responsible for the entire state of Hawai'i. Remember, she was voted into office by the citizens of Hawai'i.

TREATIES

BUSH IGNORED LAW BY GOING TO WAR IN IRAQ

Columnist Victor Hanson, in the June 16 paper, suggested that the rule of law implies that citizens should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws they find convenient to obey.

Selective compliance, he says, would be hypocritical and "would undermine the moral integrity of the entire legal system, ensuring anarchy."

But Hanson, while applying these principles to the phenomenon of illegal immigration, makes no mention of the massive violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution by the Bush administration in its horrendous war in Iraq.

Specifically, the Bush administration, by invading Iraq without justifiable cause (such as self-defense against prior attack), violated the U.N. Charter, which demands that "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."

Further, the Bush administration, by its brutal treatment of Iraqi prisoners in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, is continually violating the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The U.N. Charter and the Geneva Convention are treaties solemnly signed by an American president and ratified by the U.S. Senate, and as such are binding not only internationally but also under the U.S. Constitution, which defines American treaties as part of "the supreme law of the land."

Why did these blatant violations of law, this selective compliance by the U.S. government, get selectively ignored by Mr. Hanson?

PRINCESS' WILL

KAMEHAMEHA SHOULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN

Princess Pauahi Bishop created a will around 1883 that established Kamehameha Schools for Hawaiian boys and girls. Some 10 years later, the kingdom of Hawai'i was overthrown. A hundred years later, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution apologizing for the illegal overthrow.

Meanwhile, Kamehameha Schools has been educating Hawaiian children, with many becoming outstanding leaders in the community. Now a group that has an allegiance to those who overthrew the kingdom is trying to modify the princess' will to allow non-Hawaiian children to attend Kamehameha.

Since the U.S. Congress acknowledged the overthrow of Hawai'i was illegal and has claimed that America is ruled by law, here's the fair and honorable way to judge this case:

As Kamehameha Schools existed before the overthrow of Hawai'i, it's grandfathered in. It's like a property with an easement or lease in perpetuity. When sold or acquired, the lease calls for the buyer to honor all provisions of the lease for the term of the lease. Thus, the princess' will should stand.

And if the U.S. government can't honor that arrangement, it needs to start compensating Hawaiians for all the property it took without just compensation.

WASTE OF MONEY

TRANSPORTATION PANEL SHOULD BE ABOLISHED

It's time to abolish the city Transportation Commission. The mission of the commission is to advise the mayor on transit issues but in reality it is merely an echo of the city Department of Transportation Services.

Membership in the commission is made up of individuals who receive a political reward for supporting the mayor in his election campaign. Members of the public are not welcome at commission meetings, nor are they allowed to speak on transit issues at these meetings. The commission also refuses to reply or act upon written public communications.

Our taxpayer money is being wasted on an organization that contributes nothing to the community. The money can be better spent fixing our streets, repairing sewers, etc. Let's stop wasting tax dollars.

WAIKIKI MARCH

HOTEL WORKERS RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

On June 14, I witnessed another flood in Waikiki, but this time it was the launching of a reinvigorated social movement called Hawai'i Hotel Workers Rising.

Twelve hundred Local 5 hotel workers flooded the streets of Kalakaua Avenue and made their way to the Duke Kahanamoku statue for a rally featuring former presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with community, political and other union brothers and sisters, these hotel workers rallied in support of a fair contract.

On his first visit to our state, Sen. Edwards spoke of the need for these workers to gain status into Hawai'i's middle class by ensuring that they secure good hotel jobs for a healthy Hawai'i.

I am just a student, but I realize that Local 5's Hotel Workers Rising campaign is not just their fight. This campaign is about my future, too. It's about a Hawai'i that I want to feel proud of calling my home, where its peoples are treated fairly at work.