Working together combines best of both worlds
Working together combines best of both worlds
As is often said, a picture is worth a thousand words and that may well be the message portrayed by the photo in last week’s paper of the bulldozer, that icon of economic development, retreating from the summit of Mauna Kea, its mission defeated by the organized protest against the erection of the Thirty-Meter Telescope atop the mountain.
A mere thousand words however do not suffice in explaining the vital significance of what is actually revealed. What the picture of the bulldozer leaving the mountain really speaks to is the defeat of that which is the substance of the Hawaiian culture – innovation, discovery, exploration, adventure and ultimately knowledge – all of which define the very substance of what it was to be Hawaiian in the days before modern protectors of our culture chose to defend and preserve the past rather than explore the future.
While it can certainly be argued that history plays an important note in advancing any culture, the past will soon be forgotten if preserving it suppresses the advance of information.
Ironically, at the opposite end of the spectrum of observing the heavens, at the lowest elevation on Earth, the ocean, the ongoing voyage of Hokulea combines the latest technological advances and modern devices with the ancient knowledge that guided the people of the Pacific along their migration across their vast ocean. This integration of the old with the new demonstrates what is unique to the true culture of this place, that which sets it apart from virtually every other culture on the planet – the fact that it is based on inclusion rather than exclusion. It is this unique difference that the voyage of the Hokulea demonstrates as it visits the ports of call along its now extended journey to the rest of the world.
While the image of the defeated bulldozer at first sight seems to celebrate the victory of protest, upon closer examination the real picture is that if protest against change continues to dominate our future, everything about this place will be lost, including the unique and vital act of getting along – the cornerstone of the Hawaiian culture, and likewise the fabric presently adrift throughout the rest of the combined social exchange of humanity.
Mistakes have been made which quite justifiably resulted in the downward trek of the bulldozer but let’s make another attempt to work in concert with all seekers of knowledge. We can learn a lot from each other and as with Hokulea, we will impact the thinking of everyone by doing so.
Kelly Greenwell
Kailua-Kona
More than USPS when it comes to shipping
I don’t know whether the article in Friday’s paper “In the St. Nick of time” is a paid advertisement for USPS or just poor investigative journalism. I am an owner of an Independent Pack &Ship Center. We ship via UPS, FEDEX and USPS. We can ship as late as Wednesday Dec. 23 and still get packages delivered by Christmas to certain locations on the Mainland. This article’s incomplete information does not serve our community. You should print this letter immediately or you have not done your job for us.
Robert Haber
Waikoloa