No one sees the larger picture of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
This is not just another issue, it is the culmination and symbol of 200 years of abuse against the Hawaiian people.
It is the final straw threatening to break the back of Hawaiian pride. It is their Alamo, their Lexington and Concord, a heroic crusade they have to win.
The intruders, if they have an ounce of humanity and reverence, must cease their desecration and go home. Shutting down the TMT is the decent, human thing to do.
The kamaaiana continually tell us that Mauna Kea is their ancient religious shrine, but the scientists snicker at this idea. They pretend to listen but all they see is a big pile of dirt and rock to exploit.
The problem is that scientists who believe that nothing is sacred cannot understand a people who believe everything is sacred.
The big picture is that the mountain is a spiritual shrine of a revered culture 15 centuries older than this upstart U.S.
Since a short time after Christ, a noble culture has been worshipping at this mountain since 1,000 years before Columbus and 1,300 years before George Washington. There’s your sacredness, that is why the TMT should withdraw with humble apologies.
The Hawaiian culture is one of the longest running cultures in the history of mankind. For that it gets our respect, for that its wishes should be obeyed.
But you say there are other people involved, not just Hawaiians. Not really. Other people own enough of Hawaii already.
This mountain does not belong to the entire state any more than your downtown church belongs to the state. Separation of church and state is our law. Mauna Kea is a church separate from the state that has belonged to the Hawaiians for almost 2 millenniums. Talk about a grandfather clause for church status. According to the Constitution, it must be left alone. Let them worship in peace.
But scientists come back with their mantra, “It’s the best place to view the stars so we should be there.” It may be the best place but it isn’t their place.
The best place to get mangoes is in my neighbor’s backyard, but it isn’t my backyard so I have no right to trespass. Same for the scientists.
Developers always have such enticing “smoke and mirror” arguments to come in and take over. It’s for “knowledge,” “the students,” “the economy,” they say. Humbug.
This telescope is the bad end to a long string of so-called good ideas forced on these beleaguered islanders.
It was for the good of the economy that traders came and decimated them with venereal disease. It was for their good the missionaries came and stole their land. It was for their own good American businessmen stole their kingdom. Now, for their own good, scientists want to build a gigantic telescope on their mountain.
Hawaiians are tired of foreigners coming here and trashing their homeland for their own good.
Trampling on our people on Earth to gaze at the heavens nullifies whatever we find in the stars. We must value sacredness over knowledge and progress or knowledge and progress are meaningless.
Dennis Gregory is a resident of Kailua-Kona.
Viewpoint articles are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of West Hawaii Today.