Posted on 08/07/2005 12:31:18 PM PDT by dila813
HONOLULU -- Blowing conch shells and chanting Hawaiian prayers, some 15,000 people marched through downtown Honolulu Saturday to protest a federal court ruling striking down Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-only admissions policy as unlawful.
"We are outraged," said Lilikala Kameeleihiwa, a professor of Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii. "This is a great setback for our people. Here we are on our own homeland and we can't educate our children."
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled 2-1 on Tuesday that the private school's policy of admitting only native Hawaiians amounted to "unlawful race discrimination" even though the school receives no federal funding.
The decision shocked school officials and devastated the Native Hawaiian community. The school has defended the exclusive policy as a remedy to socio-economic and educational disadvantages Hawaiians' have suffered since the 1893 U.S.-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy.
Protests against the ruling were planned throughout the islands Saturday.
"Our hearts have bled in these past four days," Michael Chun, headmaster at the school's main Kapalama campus on Oahu, told the massive crowd blanketing the courtyard surrounding Iolani Palace - the former residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's last two monarchs.
"We must stand together to focus and right this wrong," Chun said. "March tall, march proud, march strong."
The Kamehameha Schools were established under the 1883 will of a Hawaiian princess. About 5,100 Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend the three campuses, which are partly funded by a trust now worth $6.2 billion. Admission is highly prized in Hawaii because of the quality of education and the relatively low cost.
Non-Hawaiians may be admitted if there are openings after Hawaiians who meet the criteria have been offered admission.
The lawsuit was brought by an unidentified non-Hawaiian student who was turned down in 2003.
The appeals court wrote that the school's admission policies are illegal because they operate "as an absolute bar to admission of those of the non-preferred race."
Kamehameha Schools has said it will appeal. An injunction asking the court to order the school to accept the teenager for the fall term is pending.
At the Honololu rally, Gov. Linda Lingle, introducing herself as a "haole" and "a non-Hawaiian," said the court's decision was "not just."
"The Hawaiian people have been tested many, many times," Lingle said. "This is just one more test that you will show you will overcome."
Amber Marquez, 17, a senior at the school's Kapalama campus, said Kamehameha has given her a future.
"We are just trying to preserve what little we have left because everything is being taken away," she said. "We just deserve this; we feel blessed."
---
On the Net:
Kamehameha Schools: http://www.ksbe.edu/
Dang. Geoge Wallace with a hula skirt. Pass the poi.
Conclusions like that would lead one to believe you endorse Gay "marriage", man-boy sex, adult-little girls sex, and animal sex because to think otherwise would be an affront to the rights of perverts. The court stepped on the rights of a non-public institution.
Until everyone is equally subject to the law, the law will not change or be reevaluated.
This 6 billion dollar trust can easily be spent to benefit Hawaiian children of all races. Why are the native Hawaiians so stupidly greedy? How many of them are more than 25% native blood? How much of this 6 billion is being spent each year? I'll bet very little.
Notice haw racist minorities can get when protecting their own turf. Only the "guilt ridden" white man gives way everything to placate ethnic grievance lobbyists.
I guess we all can't be against racism, can we?
Now that is the response I was hoping to hear from a real freeper.
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
It may not have recieved FEDERAL funds but maybe it recieved state funds.
Yeah, but with the money backing this school system, it is not a good example for everyone. Good schools can be built for a lot less if they operate on the principles of local control, teachers free to negotiate for their salaries, principals dedicated to the educational success of all the kids, and parents who are involved and supportive.
thnx :)
Freedom of assembly is the freedom to associate with, or organize any groups, gatherings, clubs, or organizations that one wishes.
Freedom of assembly is a key right in liberal democracies, as it allows its citizens to form or join any political party, special interest group, or union, without any government restrictions.
In legal systems without freedom of assembly, certain political parties or groups may be banned, with harsh penalties for any members. Public protests against the government are usually banned as well.
In legal systems where some rights are "tiered," (i.e. considered more worthy of judicial protection, see judicial review, than others), freedom of assembly is generally located on the top tier, although it should be observed that the idea of tiering, with its implication that there are less-than-key rights, is also quite controversial.
It's also noteworthy that even those who believe in giving the right of assembly top tier status will generally concede that authorities can rightly ban groups that sponsor terrorism or violence.
This makes freedom of assembly closely linked with notions of freedom of speech. Thus, while one can be allowed to advocate the murder of the President, one is not necessarily allowed to be a member of a group that seeks to achieve this goal.
The freedom of assembly in order to protest sometimes conflicts with laws intended to protect public safety, even in democratic countries: in many cities, the police are authorized by law to disperse any crowd (including a crowd of political protesters) which threatens public safety, or which the police cannot control. The idea is to prevent rioting. Often local law requires that a permit must be obtained in advance by protest organizers if a protest march is anticipated; the permit application can be denied. Sometimes this bureaucratic power is abused by lawmakers if the protest is not a popular one in the community or with the local government, with the permit process in some cities taking a great deal of time, organization, and even money required before a permit is issued -- and then, when issued, time and location restrictions are sometimes added.
From time to time, local permit laws collide in court with the freedoms of assembly and of speech, such as in February 2003 when protests were anticipated over the exclusion of women from membership at the Augusta National Golf Club where golf's Masters Tournament is played every year. The Richmond County, Georgia county commission implemented a new rule requiring 20 days of advance notice before a protest, and giving the county sheriff the power to approve or deny permits, and to dictate the location of demonstrations. The sheriff turned down a permit to protest in front of the golf club but approved a protest half a mile away. Two courts upheld the ordinance granting the sheriff this power.
Racism sucks, but this is not racism any more than when folks from another country try to preserve their language and historical values. Your logic says we should get the courts to go into their homes and tell them to stop speaking their home tongue. What you really suggest is actually racism against the Hawaiians and makes as much sense as requiring MENSA to ask morons into its organization.
Rubs me wrong too.
I would not choose to join such a club.
But the federal government has no right to say that such a private club cannot exist.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.