Monday, November 9, 2009

Opinion

Michael Barone

Akaka's Hawaiian Sovereignty Plan a Bad Idea

March 24, 2008 12:18 PM ET | Michael Barone | Permanent Link | Print

Here is an interesting denunciation in Pajamas Media of the Hawaiian sovereignty legislation long sponsored by the state's otherwise obscure junior senator, Daniel Akaka. I have blogged on this subject before. Akaka's idea is to give native Hawaiians something like the status of Indian tribes. There are just a few problems. Like who exactly is a native Hawaiian (there are very few people who are descended only from native Hawaiians and many with varying percentages of native Hawaiian ancestors)? And has the Indian reservation model worked so very well? This is a move toward racial separatism that comes to us just as we have been getting accustomed to the preachings of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, which Barack Obama went out of his way for 20 years to listen to.

Tags: Hawaii

Tools: Share | | Comments (6) | Print

Reader Comments

Sovereignty for Hawai'i!

You are precisely right. Hawai'i's "sovereignty" plan is a horrible idea. But I do not say this because the Native people do not deserve their sovereignty, but because the bill does not give them enough sovereignty! The United States ILLEGALLY overthrew the just and sovereign kingdom of the Hawaiian people in the name of greedy business interests! The 1993 Apology Resolution attests to this fact.

Kenneth Conklin stop trying to deceive the public with your revisionist history of the Hawaiian situation. Most, if not all, credible scholars, including both Native Hawaiian and non-Hawaiians, agree that the United States illegally overthrew the Hawaiian kingdom.

Hawaii should not be considered on par with the indigenous peoples of America (I am not saying that Hawaiians are better than them). The Kingdom of Hawaii was a sovereign state recognized by the major powers of the time including America! There was no immediate physical threat to American interests in Hawai'i so American soliders should not have invaded the palace and overthrew the sovereign Queen. Shame on those imperialists!

Queen Lili'uokalani was just in trying to promulgate a new constitution because the Bayonet one did not give justice to the sovereign head of Hawai'i and her beloved people. Stop spreading your racist creed against Hawaiians. Have you or any of your supporters no shame or decency to give respect the indigenous peoples? How dare you come to Hawai'i and insult the aboriginal peoples by accusing them of being racist in trying to re-assert their inherent right to sovereighty! Hawaiian history has already been written and the truth already revealed. Stop spreading your racist imperialist American agenda.

There can be no justice in acquisition of sovereignty if there was no justice in initial acquisition. The native people of Hawai'i did not directly relinquish their claims to their land or inherent sovereignty. It was taken by them by itinerant business and American imperialists.

How can the so-called America claim to be a just moral authority and promoter of justice and freedom when she will not herself acknowledge the stolen sovereignty of Hawai'i and other Pacific nations? Hypocrites! America is a colonizer and empire-mongerer!

Hawaii is still a colony of the United States and needs to be put back on the UN list of non-governing territories.

Malama pono

Akaka Bill

Will the Mexicans be next claiming part of the USA?

Akaka Bill

The Great Uniter, Barack Hussein Obama, is on record as a supporter of this racially devisive Senate Bill 310.

Add your thoughts

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

advertisement

U.S. News Weekly

Subscribe Today

Order the new U.S. News Weekly digital magazine at a special low introductory price!

Michael Barone is a senior writer for U.S.News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. He has written for many publications—including the Economist and the New York Times.

advertisement

NEWSLETTER

Sign up today for the latest headlines from U.S. News & World Report delivered to you free.

RSS FEEDS

Personalize your U.S. News with our feeds of blogs and breaking news headlines.

U.S. NEWS MOBILE

U.S. News daily briefings are also available on your mobile device.

People who read this also read ...

Thomas Jefferson St.

Voters' Top Priority: The Economy

Obama Democrats should stop rushing healthcare reform and address more important issues.

H1N1 Vaccine for Wall Street?

Another example of what's wrong with government run healthcare.

Healthcare Vote Delays a Bad Sign for Dems

Expect more waiting, and arm twisting, as vulnerable reps take the hint from voters.

Americans Want Jobs, Not Healthcare Reform

As the unemployment rate reaches double digits, the public makes its preference known.

California Candidates' Poor Voting Record

Couldn't Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman have put a note in their BlackBerrys about voting?

Pelosi Cracks the Whip on Moderates

She's using fear of payback to push middle-of-the-road Democrats to vote for the House bill.

A Dollar a Day to Keep the Babies Away

North Carolina program aiding at-risk kids needs to go nationwide.

The New V Takes Swipes at Both Sides

Are they sniping at Obama? Sure? Bush too.

Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
Make USNews.com your home page.