What about the workers?
I was intrigued that you never told the story of the people that directly felt the impact of the protesters, the workers who lost their jobs, twice now. It surprised me when I was reading the media’s ethics of journalism that there is no requirement to tell the whole story, and that the news portion of the paper can report selected sides of a story and still be considered ethical.
These workers have been sent home twice, last time, one week before Christmas and they have now been out of work on this multi-billion project for three years. Now they’ve been sent home again, and you report only on the mom-and-pop tour operations that have to check one place off their list that they can take customers, leaving the entire remaining island? How about the people that don’t have cushy jobs and make their living by the sweat of their brow?
Douglas Drake
Kailua-Kona
Surely, a few square miles of Maunakea can be shared
Being somewhat new to this discussion and puzzled by the passion and uncompromising nature of the protesters of the TMT project, I was left still confused after reading WHT’s Thursday, July 18 opinion piece by Chase Benbow and Lei Kihoi’s letter to the editor on the subject.
They made strong pleas that the entire mountain is sacred and construction on it desecrates it, according to their understanding of ancient Hawaiian religion and culture traditions. They suggest that this desecration is an existential threat to the identity of all Hawaiians and must be resisted at all costs, no compromise.
A causal search into ancient Hawaiian religion and culture revealed:
Maunakea is considered to be the portal to heaven, through which the creator brought froth the Earth, the portal to communicate with the gods, and to pray to and communicate with their ancestors. But only the peak of Maunakea appears to have been considered to be sacred, the portal, not the entire 918 square miles of the mountain. Ancient Hawaiian law allowed only alii, hereditary rulers and high nobility, to set foot on the peak, down-slope was open to anyone and the remains of several ancient communities have been found on the lower slopes.
It is unclear if the current passionate true believers of the sanctity of the entire mountain represent a significant segment of the Native Hawaiian population of 300,000. There is no available opinion sampling to show this.
Yes, the Hawaiian people have true and significant grievances. Their population was greatly reduced by Western visitors bringing highly contagious measles and small pox. They were exploited by Americans taking the best land, taking their government in a coup, then joining the U.S. without the Hawaiian consent. However, taking out your grievance on the astronomy community, appears to be unjustified. Surely, a few square miles of space on Maunakea, other than the peak, can be shared with others.
William Seal
Kailua-Kona
State answer is to put up signs
So once again the State of Hawaii has wielded its mighty ink filled sword to do away with those pesky protectors on Maunakea. In keeping with its unofficial motto of “never let it be said we didn’t do the least we can do.”
The state when they don’t want to deal with it just makes new rules and puts up signs. That’s what UH Hilo has been doing for the last year on Maunakea. DLNR does it, too. Sacred Falls on Oahu had a rock slide a number of years back. Did anyone do anything to try and make it safe again? Nope, just put in a gate and a sign, the least they could do.
Many of us grew up with family camping trips to the beach, but the state didn’t want to deal with that so they put up gates and signs, the least they could do. The county isn’t immune. When workers don’t show up at the transfer stations does management swing into action to work there? Nope, just keep it closed. The least they can do.
There are more examples but I’m sure you get the point. Maybe it’s time to get leaders that won’t do the least they can do.
Warren Hahlbeck
Waikoloa
