Racial terms
Racial terms
It is an offensive word
I have been following the discussion on whether or not the term haole is offensive.
I grew up on a plantation in North Kohala and went to school in the 1960s-’70s as one of only two or three Caucasian students I can recall. I can tell you the word haole was very offensive to us. It was always directed at me in a negative way.
I can still remember being afraid to go to school on kill haole day. Many times when the word f—ing haole was directed at me, I would object to it only to be assaulted for trying to stand up for myself.
In what way can the N-word be used and it not be offensive?
To call someone a haole is to demean them, label them, make them appear to be less than you. Same with the words hapa haole, usually taken to mean half or part.
That is dangerous because when we think someone or something is less than us, we sometimes give our selves and others permission to abuse, mistreat, or disrespect them because they are less than, or beneath us.
Would you use other racially charged words to someone’s face?
I think not, so why do you think haole is any different? I earned my respect and the right to be called a Caucasian gentleman the hard way.
John Botelho
Hawi
Police incident
Feel sorry for me
I read the article in the March 10 issue of WHT about the police chief reprimand of a Hilo patrol division sergeant with concern.
By his own admission, all the poor driver did was consume “about seven” 12-ounce bottles of beer, drive at night without his headlights, and swear at officers in the cellblock. A photo in the article, sure to evoke sympathy, shows the man holding his cute 11-month-old son.
Apparently the officer who was disciplined “took the handcuffs off … pulled me backwards by my hair and then kicked me, not really a kick, he jabbed me in the side with his boot. Then he stood me up in the corner and searched me and they took off all of my clothes until I had just my boxers. Then they walked me out of the room and the cop slapped me in the back of my head and I fell down.”
Again, all the driver did was drive drunk at night without his lights on, endanger every other driver’s life, run the risk of leaving his son without a father, and swear at the officers. As a haole, I can say that if he had done that to me, I would have kicked the blank out of him.
No sympathy. Wake up and sober up.
Wayne Reese
Hilo