[News] Domestic Insurgents - Not Protesters - Seized Control of Iolani Palace Yesterday

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?18a4eafc-8c12-4749-87eb-10504f7b8c53

Domestic Insurgents - Not Protesters - Seized Control of Iolani 
Palace Yesterday
On Bloodless Coups, Hawaiian Publicity Stunts, And What They Mean For 
The Rest Of Us

By Daniel P. de Gracia, II, 5/1/2008 3:26:41 PM

On April 30, some 70 unarmed Hawaiian Kingdom Government personnel 
seized control of a historic, state-owned palace not more than a 
stone's throw away from the 76 legislators, governor and lieutenant 
governor and thousands of state employees working in the State Capitol.

Claiming to be the legitimate government of Hawaii, the HKG personnel 
declared that Iolani Palace was theirs and that they were taking back 
control of Hawaii.

As chains were shackled around the gates of Iolani Palace and HKG 
personnel walked in circuits around the spacious park grounds in 
black BDU pants and aloha shirts like sentries, nearly every local 
and national media outlet referred to them as protesters. But truly, 
what were they protesting?

In speaking with the Hawaiian Kingdom Government representatives, I 
got the impression that they weren't protesting but rather attempting 
to launch a bloodless coup d'etat in which the people of Hawaii would 
rally to them against the legitimate governance of the State of 
Hawaii and the United States of America.

It's an irrefutable fact that on June 27, 1959, the Territory of 
Hawaii voted on three propositions, the first of which asked, "Shall 
Hawaii immediately be admitted into the Union as a State?" 132,773 
people voted yes to Proposition One, and only 7,971 voted no.

The second asked to affirm whether or not, "The boundaries of the 
State of Hawaii shall as prescribed in the Act of Congress approved 
March 18, 1959 and all claims of this State to any areas of land or 
sea outside the boundaries so prescribed are hereby irrevocably 
relinquished to the United States." 132,194 people voted yes, and 
only 7,654 voted no.

Proposition Three asked the people to affirm whether or not "All 
provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 18, 1959 reserving 
rights or powers to the United States, as well as those proscribing 
the terms or conditions of the grants of lands or other property 
therein made to the State of Hawaii are consented to fully by said 
State and its people." 132,281 people voted yes and 7,582 people voted no.

If you ask me, the people have already spoken by vote, Hawaiians 
included: there is nothing illegitimate about the State of Hawaii or 
the United States of America because the people by overwhelming 
majority voted yes to be a part of this country.

Those who claim that Hawaii lost sovereignty must face the fact that 
any dispute between the Hawaiian people and the supposedly "evil" 
American government could have been settled on June 27, 1959 by the 
Hawaiian people voting no to all three propositions. It was not.

The people who resist recognizing this historic, democratic decision 
through actions such as those taken by the Hawaiian Kingdom 
Government in capturing Iolani Palace are not protesters, but are 
domestic insurgents who rage against the majority will of not just 
Hawaii, but the United States of America of which this state is part of.

There are a number of unanswered questions which plague my conscience 
as I consider what happened yesterday:

    * Why was the takeover and subsequent siege by unarmed 
individuals of a State owned facility and its surrounding perimeter 
allowed to persist for so many hours?
    * Why were government functions allowed to be disrupted?
    * Why is it that Governor Lingle or Lieutenant Governor Aiona, 
upon seeing that the HKG personnel were being interviewed by numerous 
reporters, did not go out to make televised public statements to 
discourage others from engaging in similar acts of lawlessness?
    * Why is it that trained, well-armed State Police and Honolulu 
Police Department officers stood face to face for a standoff that 
lasted hours against unarmed HKG personnel without arresting them?
    * Why is it that HKG personnel were allowed to leave without 
being arrested?
    * Why does the American Flag not fly over Iolani Palace?

While some may argue that the people who seized Iolani Palace 
yesterday were sheepish and nonviolent, ultimately this attempted 
bloodless coup by HKG will serve to inspire the more hostile and 
violent opponents of the State of Hawaii and the United States of 
America to follow suit with actions that involve more than just 
chains and yellow "No Trespassing" signs.

The message that our local authorities have projected is that it is 
not only okay to take control of buildings, but that sedition goes 
unpunished and carries no deterrent in the State of Hawaii. Today, we 
face people who chain a building. What will happen if tomorrow gunmen 
attack the Capitol, Washington Place, or Honolulu Hale and take hostages?

The historical precedent certainly exists for individuals to resort 
to force as a means to demand sovereignty for a particular group of 
people. On March 1, 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists attacked the 
U.S. Congress while in session and took hostages, demanding 
independence for Puerto Rico. If things continue the way they do in 
Hawaii, I wouldn't be surprised if violent Hawaiian sovereignty 
groups, anti-Superferry environmentalist maniacs or straight up 
terrorists tried the same thing here.

We need to make an example of those who resort to such actions not to 
be harsh or cruel, but to discourage and deter future attacks against 
our buildings and people. We also need to dramatically increase the 
security presence around our Capitol.

At best, security at the Hawaii State Capitol District can be 
described as shockingly lax. There are no entry control points to 
screen individuals, no concrete barricades to prevent car bombers, no 
x-ray machines, no metal detectors, no regular foot patrols by 
Honolulu Police or State Police. The State Police who manage the flag 
flying at the Capitol won't even fold the American and Hawaii flags 
properly. Is it any wonder that people like Mahealani Asing Kahau and 
her HKG forces were able to seize control of Iolani Palace?

There is also no excuse for the weak response that our authorities 
showed regarding the Iolani Palace incident. The minute that Iolani 
Palace was seized, the police should have immediately secured and 
sealed off the area to prevent HKG personnel from escaping or 
additional persons from getting in. Federal agencies such as Homeland 
Security, FBI, and even the Department of Defense should have been 
immediately notified, considering the fact that these individuals 
were inciting an overthrow of the United States of America.

Police officers should have been placed at critical positions in 
buildings that have elevated angles on Iolani Palace. The Governor 
should have personally ordered HKG personnel to turn themselves in to 
law enforcement for arrest, and failing their compliance, law 
enforcement should have gone "tactical" and invaded the complex armed 
with less than lethal equipment including CS gas, rubber bullets, and tasers.

The benefit of utilizing a massive, if not overwhelming response to 
hostile takeover of our government facilities is that it has an 
intimidating effect on those who would participate in such behaviors 
and an inspiring effect to those who oppose such individuals, knowing 
that we don't take lightly attacks on Hawaii or the United States of 
America. The public should have gone to sleep yesterday having seen 
the HKG personnel arrested, not with the cautionary note from Civil 
Defense that their men had dispersed without arrest and might return 
the next day.

We need to treat groups like HKG and others blooming around Hawaii 
like domestic insurgents and put their names on the National 
Terrorist Screening Database. When we see them taking control of 
Iolani Palace and other government facilities, we shouldn't call them 
"protesters" we should call them "terrorists" and deal with them the 
same way we'd deal with al Qaeda operatives taking over one of our buildings.

I for one am tired of seeing America shamed in the State of Hawaii by 
a deceived yet ultimately vocal minority of belligerent, domestic 
insurgents. Make no mistakes: those who feel the way I do about 
America are not warmongers or Big Government "shock and awe" 
elitists, but rather people who know that a peaceful America requires 
a strong America.

To the domestic insurgents out there who want to overthrow Hawaii and 
the United States in favor of going back to the days of monarchy we 
who believe otherwise say this: "We're Americans, we're Americans, 
and we'll never surrender, you will!"

Daniel Paul de Gracia II, MA is a political scientist specializing in 
international relations and a former candidate for State 
Representative who now works for Rep. Rida Cabinilla, D-Ewa. He lives 
in Waipahu. His comments do not necessarily reflect the policy or 
opinions of the Office of Rep. Cabanilla. Reach him at 
<mailto:daniel.p.degracia at gmail.com>mailto:daniel.p.degracia at gmail.com

HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials 
submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the 
editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to 
<mailto:Malia at HawaiiReporter.com>mailto:Malia at HawaiiReporter.com




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