Depleted Uranium in Hawai`i

Leuren Moret exposes the Military in Hawaii





UPDATE December 2, 2008
Here are some links to a variety of opinions on depleted uranium in Hawaii.

My opinion? I don't believe the Hawaiian Islands should be used as target practice for the military, depleted uranium or not.

Army Reaffirms Commitment to Hawaii on Depleted Uranium
No Depleted Uranium In Hawaii
Doubts Remain About Depleted Uranium
Nuclear Free Zone
Hawaiian Islands Contaminated
With Ballistic Uranium
DubbsInfo/Uranium
Sickened Iraq vets cite depleted uranium



"They've Got Bomb" by Crass

They won't destroy the world, no, they're not that crazy.
You're dealing with the town hall. They're not that crazy.
No political solution so why should we bother?
Well whose fucking head do you think they're holding over?
FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE. FIRE.

They can't wait to use it. They can't wait to use it.
They can't wait to try it out. They can't wait to use it.
They've got a bomb. They've got a bomb
And they can't wait to use it on me.

Twenty odd years now waiting for the flash...

Twenty odd years now waiting for the flash,
All of the oddballs thinking we'll be ash.
Well the four minute warning has run on into years,
Are we waiting for them to confirm our fears?
FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE. FIRE.

They can't wait to use it. They can't wait to use it.
They can't wait to try it out. They can't wait to use it.
They've got a bomb. They've got a bomb
And they can't wait to use it on me.

They can build them small, call it tactical.
Stop the fallout, make it practical
To smash the misfits who foul up their scene
With the practical, tactical, killing machine.
FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE. FIRE.

They can't wait to use it. They can't wait to use it.
They can't wait to try it out. They can't wait to use it.
They've got a bomb. They've got a bomb
And they can't wait to use it on me.
Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. I. Me. Me. Me.


Lyrics by Crass from the Feeding of the 5000 album

The SuperFerry Chronicles

The Superferry Chronicles - Book Launch Celebrations
Tuesday, December 2
4:00 p.m. - Borders at Maui Marketplace, Kahului
7:00 p.m. - Kaunoa Senior Center in Paia
Interisland ferries, at appropriate speeds with appropriate safeguards, could be a blessing for the islands. The Hawaii Superferry has never met these criteria. Not approved by the people of Hawai'i, without an environmental impact statement, the Superferry rode in on a wave of collusion and deception. On Maui, environmental groups blocked passage in the courts, only to be overridden by special legislative session. On Kaua'i, citizens on surfboards blocked the vessel from entering the harbor. Koohan Paik and Jerry Mander tell the full story in The Superferry Chronicles.

Koohan Paik is a Kauai filmmaker, writer, and media-literacy educator. Jerry Mander founded of San Francisco's Public Media Center and International Forum on Globalization, authored the bestselling Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television and In the Absence of the Sacred, and has been called by the New York Times "the patriarch of the antiglobalization movement."

"The idea of boats to connect the Hawaiian Islands is so natural and lovely that it makes one doubly mad to read how in this case it's been perverted into yet one more sad scheme for our paranoid future. Good for the people of Hawai'i who have raised the alarm and to these authors for pulling back the curtain." --Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

"Koohan Paik and Jerry Mander offer the world a wide interpretation of indigenous sensibility. We in Hawai'i are grateful and stand ready for more effective collaboration. It's time to save this planet! I mua ka lahui o Hawaii-nui-akua. ('Let us all move forward, all people of the world.')" --Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer, Hawaiian practitioner and educator

The authors will also be speaking at Maui Community College December 1st at 6 p.m. in Science 12A, December 3-5 on Kaua'i, and in Honolulu, Hilo, and Kona in January. Visit www.superferrychronicles.com for details and a downloadable poster.

The Superferry Chronicles
Published by Koa Books, Kihei, Maui
$20 Trade Paperback Original - ISBN 978-0-9773338-8-2
Available now in Borders Kahului & Lihue, Native Books and Revolution Books in Honolulu, and from Koa Books
For more information, contact 808-875-7995, arnie@koabooks.com

Michelle Malkin and Hawaii

I sometimes wonder what the outsider’s opinion of Hawaii is. We sometimes see it depicted in movies, where kanaka maoli are reduced to background figures or buffoonish clowns. Recently, I’ve been following the talk show pundit, Michelle Malkin and read her opinions of Hawaii. She certainly has no love lost for our islands.

According to “The State of Hawaii Moves to Censor a Cartoon,” an article written by Michelle Malkin, the Hawaiian sovereignty movement is, a “grievance-mongering movement.” Of course, this doesn’t take into account of history, facts or reality. In fact, this is a classic right-wing smear: call your opponent some crazy, vile epithet and you will reduce them to mumbling idiots. For example, there is always the trap, “Hey, have you stopped beating your wife?” If you answer, “I haven’t,” you look like an idiot. If you answer, “no,” you look like an idiot. This is what Malkin is doing. Reducing the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement to “grievance-mongerers” is Ms. Malkin outlining the narrative. We can either respond with epithets ourselves or ignore it and try to set her straight. Of course, she won’t be interested in hearing what we have to say. Her mind is made up.

In a more recent article entitled, “Nuttiness in Hawaii: Ethnic separatists take over palace” by Michelle Malkin, Native Hawaiians are described as secessionists and ethnic separatists. First, the sovereignty movement cannot be described as secessionists, the premise of the movement is that the Hawaiian Kingdom was never overthrown, that it still exists to this day. You cannot secede from something you are not a part of. Secondly, “ethnic separatists?” The kingdom of Hawai`i was not built on separation, it included everyone, including haoles. However, she claims that these separatists “took over a historic palace…” The way she writes it, Iolani Palace is just some palace, like there are hundreds of them scattered throughout Hawaii. Clearly, she doesn’t really understand what has occurred. Instead, she takes large quotes from Malia Zimmerman’s report, and then regurgitates her opinion over the report. She sums up her “report” by saying, “P.C [Political Correctness)] virus isn’t contained to the Mainland.”

Despite what Ms. Malkin’s opinions are about Hawaii and the sovereignty movement, she is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to people’s opinions about Hawaii. The comments left on her blog are equally as vile, if not surpassing it altogether. The opinions of her readers degenerate into sad name calling. If we, the students of Hawaiian Studies ever want to understand how we are perceived, please read the comments in her blog. One person wrote, “There [In Hawaii] is a separatist movement encouraged by the weak-minded and apologetic-for-all-things western, but western civilization did not achieve its dominance and brilliance through timidity and surrender.” A link from Malkin’s blog led me to this nugget, “Yet another inferior culture having a go at the fallen children of giants.” Levi from Queens

This is what we are up against. We must realize that we have to come together because people like Michelle Malkin, people who have access to powerful media outlets, are out to destroy us and will not relent until we give up. So, don't give up.

Michelle Malkin
Michelle Malkin on Apartheid in Hawaii

"Ethnic grievance-mongerers"


Michelle Advocates for Japanese Internment Camps

Noho Hewa

November 20 3:30 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM Maui Community College
Ka Lama Building FREE




Noho Hewa' puts in context the struggle of modern Hawaiians By Joleen Oshiro Star Bulletin

Noho Hewa" opens with this excerpt from the poem "Hawaii" by activist Haunani-Kay Trask:
"... Haole plover / plundering the archipelago of our world, / And we, gorging ourselves / on lost shells / blowing a tourist conch / into the wounds / of catastrophe."

The poem is a most fitting summary of the film (an uncompleted version was viewed for this review), which explicitly illustrates that the phenomenon of colonialism extends beyond the physical occupation of the land or replacement of the culture.
Trask in fact goes so far as describing the strife facing Hawaiians as ethnic cleansing, adding "ethnic cleansing isn't just something that they do physically to people, it's something that happens in the mind."

To explain this concept, producer and director Anne Keala Kelly uses examples of colonialism in Hawaii -- bombings at Makua, the clumsy handling of burial sites during development, homelessness contrasted with the construction of multimillion-dollar gated communities -- and illuminates them with discourse by numerous Hawaiian academics and activists.

"The destruction of the Hawaiian way of life used to look like a missionary holding a bible. This is what it looks like in the 21st century," says Mikahala Roy of Kulana Huli Honua, as footage of construction rolls on the screen.

In response to homeless Hawaiians being evicted from public beaches, Trask says, "That's just what ethnic cleansing establishes ... You have no place to live. You do not have a home. You're not there."

For those uneducated about the issues "Noho Hewa" addresses, Hawaiian activists can appear to be unduly angry, their causes ridiculously unrealistic. But in taking a stand on the side of the Hawaiian cause, the film does an excellent job of providing context to their perspectives. And it even goes one step further: It conveys knowledge that resonates in the heart as well as the mind.

Hawaii International Film Festival
Six films are nominated for the Hawaii International Film Festival's top award, the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award, in the category of documentary feature. The award recognizes artistic and technical excellence and contributions to cross-cultural understanding. Jurors are actor Cliff Curtis of "Whale Rider," "Fracture," "Sunshine" and "Life Free or Die Hard"; Don King, director of "Beautiful Son"; and Grace Lee, anchor at KGMB 9 TV.

Ghosts Of the Sidewalk

Maui Weekly

Thursday, June 28, 2007
Ghosts of the Sidewalk

Formerly homeless punk rockers help food banks.

The Maui punk rock band, (Order Of The) White Rose, joined forces with O‘ahu’s Hawaiian Express records and released a collectable seven-inch single entitled Ghosts of the Sidewalk in mid-June. All sales proceeds will be donated to the food banks of O‘ahu and Maui.

A former homeless person himself, guitarist Stephen Hart said, “I wanted to take a negative experience and turn it into a positive experience. I would rather be a band that gave back to the community than one who just tries to become famous and pal around with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.”

When asked why he chose to use an older format to release the songs, he said, “Seven-inch singles are very collectable and very tactile—they’re fun to hold. Plus, with the large hole, they can be played in the old-style jukeboxes.”

White Rose also hired the cartoonist Brian Walsby (Melvins, 7 Seconds) to draw the front cover, and up-and-coming artist Keith Rosson (Razorcake Magazine) drew the poster for the inside as well as designed the back cover art for the B-side, Seeds of Destruction.

“I look forward to raising awareness that there are a lot of people who are hurting here in Hawai‘i, we are not just a playground for the rich, nor are we to be forgotten. That is what the song Ghosts of the Sidewalk is all about,” Hart said. “I’m really happy to work with Jason Miller of Hawaiian Express Records, too. With his own history of living in a van outside a friends house, a 4-by-10 loft in a garage, and a converted lanai, he was as excited to do this project as I was, and we’re really happy with the way the single looks and sounds. I hope to do more projects with Jason in the future. Maybe we can have a punk rock food drive, too, and have barrels of food to drop off at the food banks at every show we play. That would be remarkable.”

The single is sold for $5 ppd and can be purchased through Hawaiian Express Records: P.O. Box 11871, Honolulu, HI 96828 or www.hwnexp.com.

Stephen Hart can be contacted at Steve@whiterosepunk.com.

Makena

Save Makena

1,​100 High densi​ty Condo​s,​ hotel​,​ shopp​ing cente​r surro​undin​g Maken​a State​ Park?​

There​'​s a Poll on www. mauin​ews.​ com on weath​er this proje​ct shoul​d be appro​ved.​ Go to Maui News and scrol​l down to share​ your opini​on.​

Count​y Counc​il Land Use Commi​ttee Meeti​ng
Wed. Nov.19th,​ 8:30 am
@ the Count​y Build​ing,​ 8th floor​ (200 S.​High st. Wailu​ku)​
Devel​oper wants​ to upzon​e over 150 acres​ for high densi​ty Condo​s,​ hotel​,​ shopp​ing cente​r surro​undin​g Maken​a State​ Park.​
Publi​c testi​mony will be accep​ted at the meeti​ng.​ COME EARLY​ to sign up to testi​fy!​ Arriv​e at 8:​30am.​
Free Save Maken​a t-​shirt​s to early​ sign ins.
Citiz​ens can sign up to speak​ while​ testi​mony conti​nues.​
Food will be avail​able!​

Can'​t atten​d?​
Email​ to Land Use Commi​ttee:​ lu.​commi​ttee@​mauic​ounty​.​us
Reque​st a night​time Publi​c Heari​ng in Kihei​.​ Let the worki​ng publi​c have a say in what'​s going​ on.

Also,​ Lette​rs to the edito​r help bring​ atten​tion to his huge issue​.​
Maui News:​ lette​rs@​mauin​ews.​com

Also the weekl​ies:​
Maui Weekl​y:​ edito​r@​mauiw​eekly​.​com
Maui Time:​ jacob​@​mauit​ime.​com
Lahai​na News:​ lahne​ws@​maui.​net

Key Point​s:​

* No avail​able publi​c water​ suppl​y
* arche​ologi​cal revie​w outda​tes and incom​plete​
* No affor​dable​ housi​ng onsit​e
* Reduc​ed publi​c parki​ng at Maui Princ​e Beach​ (​Malua​ka)​
* Over 100 acres​ alrea​dy have zonin​g.​ Devel​oper could​ peopl​e to works​ right​ NOW if this was truly​ about​ provi​ding jobs.​

WANT TO GET MORE FACTS​ TO TESTI​FY?​
Save Maken​a.​ org Meeti​ng
Sun. Nov. 16th,​ 6-8 pm @ Kalam​a Heigh​ts senio​r livin​g facil​ity,​ 101 Kanan​i Rd. in Kihei​,​ Rm 10- The Garde​n room,​
Guest​ speak​er Kai Nishi​ki:​ "​What'​s up at Maken​a & what can we do?"
Come find out what'​s being​ propo​sed and how it affec​ts our jobs,​ our housi​ng,​ our park,​ our reefs​,​ our ocean​s and our history.​

Save Maken​a Meeti​ng Direc​tions​:​

Kalam​a Heigh​ts senio​r livin​g facil​ity,​ Garde​n Room,​ 101 Kanan​i Rd, in Kihei​.​ The Garde​n Room is locat​ed on the ocean​side of the Kalam​a Heigh​ts compl​ex,​ and atten​dees are advis​ed to use the parki​ng lot close​st to S. Kihei​ Rd. Light​ refre​shmen​ts will be serve​d.​ T-​shirt​s and Bumpe​r Stick​ers avail​able.​ Call 357-​3134 for more infor​matio​n.​


Frida​y,​ Nov. 14th,​ 4pm-​5:​30 pm Sign wavin​g on Maken​a Resor​t corne​r of Waile​a Ike and Pi'​ilani​ Hwy. We'​ll meet at Danie​l'​s house​ at 3:30 pm 1100 Kupul​au.​ We have plent​y of signs​ but, Feel free to make your own sign that say thing​s like "​Rezon​ing does not guara​ntee jobs"​ or "No water​,​ no build​ing"​

Food Security

Multipurpose Room, Pilina Bldg, Maui Community College, Kahului, Maui,
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, 5–7 pm

Waiola Church, Lahaina, Maui,
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, 6–8 pm

Ala Kukui (Hana Retreat Center), Wakiu, Hana, Maui,
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008, 6–8 pm

Practical Agriculture for Hamakua class,
NHERC, Honoka’a, Hawai'i, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 6-8 pm

Craig Elevitch will be presenting a photo-rich talk about Hawai'i food security. He will show images of traditional agricultural systems in Samoa, Tonga, Palau, and Yap and describe how these age-old systems can guide us in achieving food security in Hawai'i and elsewhere in the tropics. Steps we all can take to create personal, neighborhood, and community food security will be covered. Craig will also present plans for transforming a 1/4 acre lawn into an abundant perennial homegarden within a year.




From Craig's website:


"Despite Hawai‘i’s plentiful agricultural land and year-round growing conditions, we still import more than 85% of our food and have less than a 7-day supply of food in stores at any given time. Many Hawai‘i residents are concerned about community food security due to our food distribution system’s vulnerability to major economic disruptions and environmental disasters. Parallel problems include:

low availability and high price of locally grown food in markets and restaurants
stagnation of the local agricultural economy due to cheap imports
increasingly questionable food safety from imported foods of nearly untraceable origin
poor nutrition due to overconsumption of cheap processed foods
skyrocketing medical costs due to nutrition related non-communicable diseases
This project will

educate community and school groups about our food security, local agricultural production, diversifying farm and garden markets, and nutrition and what we can do to improve them;
research and demonstrate the feasibility of providing most of a family’s nutritional needs and partial or full income without reliance on imported fertilizer, chemicals, or other inputs; and
produce a manual for import-free homegrown food abundance for consumption and sale in Hawai'i."

Agro Forestry.net

Jan Shields

Jan Shields is a Republican candidate for District Nine in Maui County who is running on a platform of building a hospital in Lahaina and privatizing all the hospitals on Maui. I have watched her in “action” at a variety of meet the candidate forums and I have discovered Jan Shields is very narrow in her scope and vision for the future of Maui. In fact, I believe she is quite dangerous for the County of Maui.



Privatization is a theory based on the idea of competition and, in theory, this competition would lower prices and provide a better quality service. It has also been the clarion call for the Republican party for quite some time now. In fact, the call for privatization is often a political ideal, rather than an economic one. A cursory Google search brings up strong political beliefs from the far-right and far-left. The far-right believes that Government’s relationship with the citizens should be hands-off and business should be market-driven. The far-left, in contrast, believe that privatization of Government is another example of a class-driven system, one that is against unions and the workers. The idea is that the government is the people, therefore the people would own the hospitals. The very same hospitals that Jan Shields would like to build and privatize.

If we are to privatize Maui Memorial General Hospital, profits will become the first priority of the hospital. In the Haleakala Times, Shields says, “Private companies will run a much more efficient business. It is easy for government hospitals to run inefficiently, and then go with their hands out to the legislature for more of our tax dollars. Private hospitals cannot do this, so they plan ahead and run a tight ship,” she said. But what is this so-called “tight ship?” If, under Shields’ plan, a certain portion of the hospital is unprofitable, do they discard this portion? Do we do away with the Emergency Room because too many people who cannot afford care continue to default on their hospital bills?



Maui County does not need private hospitals. We can build public hospitals –but we do not need to bankrupt Hawaii by building private hospitals only for people who can afford them. The Republican model of privatization has failed. There is no need for Maui to build private hospitals and there is no need for Jan Shields in our government.

Fast Food Nursing
Save Our Healthcare
Jan Shields
Roz Baker
Common Dreams
Haleakala Times