American exceptionalism but a myth
There have been many letters published recently regarding the motives of the protesters on Maunakea, they are accused of wanting to return to a Hawaii that no longer exists, they are faulted for displaying flags and driving big trucks.
I think we are all missing the point, they don’t want to return to anything but self-determination. While I doubt that it will happen, these people certainly have valid complaints and as compassionate people we should listen.
During and after the takeover, Hawaiians were banned from speaking their language, hula was banned.
These were not “savages” living a subsistence lifestyle, Hawaii in the 1800s was the most literate country in the world with an established and well recognized government. They established many of the institutions that exist today for the betterment of Hawaii.
If the United States were somehow taken over by Russia (maybe not too far fetched) how long would we fight, would we give up and learn to speak Russian and be happy? I sincerely doubt it.
Personally, I hope TMT is built but I don’t have a horse in this race. We need to be respectful and listen to the complaints.
We haven’t made Hawaii a better place, not Samoa, nor Guam, certainly not Puerto Rico, and we made our best effort to make Cuba an American playground.
We need to develop some humility and begin to recognize that American exceptionalism is a myth.
Duane Sherman
Ocean View
Not all doctors equal
I am one of those recently retired Hawaii physicians referred to in this article about Hawaii physician shortage being at the lowest point in four years, after practicing pediatrics in Kailua-Kona since 1981.
In reference to Lieutenant Gov. Dr. Joshua Green’s comments, no practicing physician ever received a $1 million campaign donation from Pacific Resource Partnership PAC, as did Dr. Green. None of us have retirement jobs that allow us to travel the country on fundraising tours for our gubernatorial campaigns, as does Dr. Green.
We all struggled with HMSA’s anti-doctor, anti-patient policies. My vote will go to any candidate whose personal integrity and honesty exceed that of Dr. Green. Katherine Kealoha would be a better choice.
Peter Locatelli, MD
Kailua-Kona
Scary science lesson
It’s not just that Manuel Roberto’s letter shows a total lack of knowledge of basic physics starting with confusing anti-matter with what he calls “anti-material,” and getting everything wrong thereafter. I am even more disturbed that he was employed by our schools to teach science!
And instead of science, he seems to have conducted a class in religion. This, I fear, is the real face of the anti-TMT protests and the future of thinking and education on our island if and when real science is banished from the mountain.
Mr. Roberto, who wants the University of Hawaii to devote its resources to teaching about “anti-material particles,” might be interested to know that when matter and anti-matter meet, total destruction results.
Arne Werchick
Kailua-Kona
