The Empire is afraid of us

Aloha mai kakou!

 

It happened last week. Not so far away, here on Kaua`i.

http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/06/hands-across-sand-westside.html

SUBHEAD: US military intelligence come out in numbers to witness prayer for Gulf Coast Oil Disaster.


Image above: Early stages of Salt Pond Beach "Hands across the Sands" vigil. All photos by Juan Wilson.

By Juan Wilson on 27 June 2010 -

Yesterday, June 26th, marked a worldwide prayer vigil in observance of the ongoing Gulf of Mexico BP oil disaster. When the event was planned, those interested in participating on Kauai had the option of joining hands at Hanalei Beach or Lydgate State Park.

My wife, Linda Pascatore, and I decided a few days before the event not to go because it would have meant driving at least halfway around the island and burning a couple of gallons of gas, to attend a prayer to save the planet from runaway petroleum. We were going to spend our morning gardening instead.

At the last minute we got a message from Diana Labedz that she had found a volunteer to add Salt Pond Beach Park, in Hanapepe on Kauai's westside, to the list of participating locations. This was on the day before the event. We live in Hanapepe and decided to change plans and join the prayer for the planet.

The event was scheduled from 11am-12pm. We arrived on time and as we entered the beach parking lot we noticed a Kauai County Police car parked facing the approaching road (an unusual occurrence).

It was eleven and, being Kauai time, it seemed nobody had showed up yet. We walked around looking for who might be 'da kine' for planetary prayer... in other words we were looking for old hippie types. Linda spotted a few likely participants near the water's edge at about 11:30 and went over to see who they were.


Image above: Sovereignty flag in foreground and 'demonstrators' right-back-ground.

Soon another one of our tribe showed up. He began setting up a rainbow striped Hawaiian sovereignty flag and some signs to mark our gathering place. His signs read:

"Take pride in your aina. Show it to the World. Hawaii is not America and it never will be."

Within minutes two jumbo luxury SUV's, gunmetal and mauve, pulled into the parking places right behind the flag. There were four young men in each. The rolled down the windows with the engines running. They pulled out cameras and other devices and began recoding and documenting the events. It seemed funny that they would even know we'd be there. Hardly anyone did.


Image above: Young military professionals in gunmetal SUV at Salt Pond Beach. Note cameras concealed in lap and cup holder.

I immediately grabbed my camera and approached the vehicles. As I shot a few pictures they began packing up their equipment. They seemed upset to be photographed. So much for undercover intelligence? I leaned in on the gunmetal SUV. The boys inside looked to be in their mid to late twenties. All wore jeans; most wore dark tees. I asked: "US military?". I got a one word answer from the back seat: "Yes". Another voice in the back. "Hey, no pictures!".

Even though the eight of them outnumbered the participants on the beach, they seemed to get nervous and defensive after that. Within 20 seconds they made a decision to decamp. They stowed their recording gear. Windows were raised and both vehicles backed out and were quickly gone. They weren't there at 12:30 when out numbers crested at about twenty.


Image above: The 'local' interpreter-scout zips up recording equipment sitting in mauve Lincoln Navigator.

I suppose the upcoming RIMPAC 2010 (operated out of the PMRF here on Kauai) is a good reason to have lots of young professional military on island guarding American interests and gathering intel. But do they need to burn a couple of gallons of gas in a couple of air-conditioned jumbo SUVs to check out a prayer vigil to save the Gulf of Mexico from petroleum? This was a gathering of peaceful people holding hands to pray and meditate at the beach. Why is our military conducting such domestic surveillance of US citizens?

As the biggest consumer of fossil fuels in the world, and the biggest customer of BP, and the biggest user of offshore gulf oil, they are just protecting their interests... and not ours.


Image above: Military team heads out of Salt Pond Park in Lincoln Navigator license plate KZW-794.

The story has not ended with the above. Just before 1:00 pm. I took down the wind sack, because I had to go somewhere, but planned to return in a couple of hours. Around 3:00 pm. I got a call from a friend that the ranger was taking pictures and removing the signs, because someone complained. They could not prevent the ranger to do this, so in about 30 minutes I went to Salt Pond Park and found the ranger Eric Rita. I asked him why he had removed the signs and if I could get them back. He told me that they were in violation of the sign ordinance of Kaua`i County. When I said that he had never removed any other signs from the park before, although there were other signs like birthday, anniversary, church group signs etc., his answer was that those are OK, because they are not advertising. When I challenged him what was advertising in these two sentences:"Take pride in your ‘āina and show it to the world! Kaua`i is not America and it never will be." he said he could not answer that, but he got a radio order from his boss John Martin that someone complained and they demanded the removal of the signs from public view. I would have to go and see John Martin on Monday in Lihue in his office and claim my signs back.
In my assessment it is a clear-cut case of human rights violation, because this action was public education and the sign ordinance regulates only commercial signs. It clearly shows that the Empire is afraid of us: kānaka maoli and kānaka ē. It is interesting that someone found John Martin on his day off to report this case and he acted immediately redirecting his ranger to Salt Pond from a different location, then ordered him to drive and deliver the signs to Lihue immediately, while in the past when we reported restroom problems to John Martin's office (urinal clogged up, door lock broken, etc.) it always took them more than a month to have it fixed even if fixing those things took less than 20 minutes.
After all day calling on Monday finally on Tuesday I could reach the manager of the Department of Parks. He was very pleasant and friendly and he assured me that once his ranger comes back with the signs that he had impounded last week I would be able to come to pick them up. This is what I did. I went to his office with a friend and John Martin did not even want to see us.

The signs were there at the receptionist and we could pick them up without any hassle.

On our way out one of the officers said. "Just don't keep them in our parks!"

I responded smiling: "We won't. We will keep them in OUR parks." Case closed. Ain't this freedom of speech?

 

Me ke aloha

 

János Keoni Samu

 

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  • Greetings & Aloha,
    I am Simbralynn Leiolani Kanaka'ole. I was born & do reside in the territorial geographical boundaries of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Archipelago at all times whatsoever. Freedom of all naturel freepersons does not exist within the Empire of the Wicked War Machine and it's system of governance as a matter of public record.
    I shall open my mouth unto thee in parables & utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares(taxes) are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world. the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire; I indeed baptize you with water unto repentence: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness...The right to peaceablyassemble for prayer, speech and/or to petition the government for redress of grievance (when applicable) is an Inherent Right given unto thee from the "Almighty"...blessings to all His children of the rainbow & continue to live life with "Aloha" (unconditional love)...a hui hou ohana, malama pono!
    • Mahalo nui loa e Leiolani!
      Your mouth speaketh from the fullness of your heart and your words toucheth my soul and heart.

      `Onipa`a!

      János Keoni Samu
    • As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him; and this is life eternal...that they might know thee...the only true God, & Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent; I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do; & now Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was;I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou hast given me out of the world: thine they were, & thou gavest them me...& they kept thy word; Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee; For I have given unto them the words which thou have gavest me & they have received them & have known surely that I came out from thee &they have believed that thou hast sent me; I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine; & all mine is thine & thineare mine & I am glorified in them; & now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, & I come to thee...Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are! a hui hou kakou...malama pono!!!
    • Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight...Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted; Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth; Blessed are they which do hunger & thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled; Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy; Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God; Blessed are the Peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God; Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, & persecute you, & shall say all manner of "evil" against you falsely for my sake...Rejoice & be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
      Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its' savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, & be trodden under the foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill (Mauna Kea) cannot be hid...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father which is in heaven!
      Think not that I have come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil; For verily I say unto you, "Till heaven & earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled!!!
      Whosover therefore shall break one of these commandments, & shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do & teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven... for I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of heaven...me kealoha pumehana o Kealakeakua...a hui hou keiki o ka aina...malama pono!!!
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