Posted on 06/24/2005 1:43:07 PM PDT by RWR8189
Lingle and Akaka say Kyl is mistaken the bill creates a "race-based" Hawaiian government
Senate Republican opponents are sharpening their attack on Sen. Dan Akaka's bill for native Hawaiian recognition.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., called the Akaka Bill "the creation of race-based government for native Hawaiians."
In comments submitted to the Congressional Record and reprinted by the Republican Policy Committee, Kyl warned that Akaka's bill, S-147, could lead to Hawaii leaving the union.
The Akaka Bill defines a process in which the federal government, through the Department of the Interior, would recognize a native Hawaiian governing body. Senate Republicans have agreed to allow a floor vote by early August.
"It is difficult to see how a bill touted in Hawaii as a potential path to 'total independence' is going to help reconcile whatever racial divisions exist there," Kyl wrote. "It goes without saying that Congress does not serve the nation's long-term interest by providing vehicles for its citizens to secede from the Union."
Kyl previously blocked a Senate vote on the Akaka Bill, but after meeting with Sen. Daniel Inouye earlier this year, he agreed to permit the bill to be voted on by the entire Senate this summer.
In his own comments in the Congressional Record, Akaka said Kyl is wrong.
"It is disturbing that opponents to the bill rely so heavily on mischaracterizations of the legislation to advocate their position," Akaka wrote. "It greatly saddened me that opponents to my bill feel the need to rewrite Hawaii's history, as painful as it is for those of us who have lived it.
"It is one thing to oppose my bill. It is quite another, however, to trivialize the history of Hawaii."
Gov. Linda Lingle also said yesterday that Kyl is wrong, adding that she is considering going to Washington to lobby for the bill, which is scheduled to be debated in the Senate next month.
"We are disappointed because we have worked with him and talked with him a lot," Lingle said. "He simply has a different opinion on this issue. His opinion is wrong, his facts are wrong and now it is up to us to make clear where he is mistaken."
Haunani Apoliona, chairwoman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said Kyl is "attempting to rewrite history."
The Akaka Bill, Apoliona said, is not based on a person's race, but instead on individuals tracing their ancestry to indigenous Hawaiians.
"The Hawaiians have been here for thousands of years before the settlers, before Westerners ever came here to settle Hawaii," Apoliona said. "A legal relationship with the United States is what we are pursuing. 'Race-based' is an easy thing to stir up fear and mistrust in the community."
Kyl says it would create "a race-based government for native Hawaiians living throughout the United States."
"To create a race-based government would be offensive to our nation's commitment to equal justice and the elimination of racial distinctions in the law."
"S-147 represents a step backwards in American history and would create far more problems -- cultural, practical and constitutional -- than it purports to solve. It must be rejected," Kyl said.
"Native Hawaiians are not geographically or culturally segregated in Hawaii. They live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools, worship at the same churches and participate in the same civic activities as do all Hawaiians," Kyl said.
Also, Kyl insists, there never was a "race-based Hawaiian government, so there is no native Hawaiian government to be restored."
The government of Hawaii in 1893, Kyl says, included Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Samoans, Portuguese, Scandinavians, Scots, Germans, Russians, Puerto Ricans and Greeks.
"To speak of restoring the 'native Hawaiian' government of 1893 is to ignore the fact that no such racially exclusive government or nation existed," Kyl said.
We are certainly seeing some bizarre and distressing news stories in the past few days. What on earth is going on over there anyway? Kerry voters, Rats --- phooey!
Huh?
Quite true. It wouldn't bother me if it happens though so long as we can re-start the confederacy.
This is a racket!
Two less 'Rat Senators.
From what I read, I don't think it would be a bad thing to legitimize a "tribal council" such as many continental Native Americans have. The only question for me is, is the Akaka bill set up to do that, or is it something else?
Exactly.. this is nothing more than the camels nose under the tent.. paving the way for Aztlan...
""The Hawaiians have been here for thousands of years before the settlers, before Westerners ever came here to settle Hawaii," Apoliona said."
That's wrong. Hawaii was first settled fewer than two thousand years ago, AD 300-600.
Isn't there a Jewish woman RINO running Hawaii now? I don't care who runs that state so long as we can continue to rape them of tax dollars, which must be considerable.
If the issue is what I suggest, Kyl needs to get off the soap box, and stop sounding like a Communist, Socialist or 1965 "Liberal" exploiting the race issue. There aren't enough true Hawaiians left to be a threat to anyone. Let them have their national identity, just as do the various Indian tribes.
William Flax
I don't think he's exploiting the race issue, he's merely identifying it. This movement has been afoot for over fifteen years now and they are seeking a solution similar to the Indian tribes. Unless you want to consider all of the islands as tribal land. They want the whole kit an caboodle (is this a real word?).
prior post should have read 'they are NOT seeking a solution similar to the Indian tribes'.
Oh, brother. Don't even get me started.
I think they ought to have their own government on their own island.
No connection to the US at all including no military support, and no tax revenue, no SS, no medicare.
Let them see if they can be entirely self sufficient.
While it would be tempting to say "yeah,let Hawaii go with its three rat congressman and two rat senators", this is bull shiite and has to be stopped PERIOD.
How many native polynesian Hawaiins are there anyway? Hasn't immigration pretty much wiped out the polynesians?
Given the long term implications of yesterday's Supreme Court decision on private property and eminent domain, your longing for a confederacy may become a prevalent sentiment among Americans.
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