Often we wrestle with the decision to comment, write letters,, send in testimony, create and respond to a forum. Do people actually listen or read them? Does the military or government actually read them or acknowledge the issues? Do they just go through the formality to pacify those that write letters or testify what is important to them? Have the government and military already made up their minds and allow people their testimony to reflect a democratic system that is vacuous? Bucking the big machinery can be daunting; but the more people react and continue the legacy that created such a govenment; changes can be made. No matter how frustrating it can be; it is always worth the effort to make them accountable.Here is one of the letters sent by a woman back in Oct 2009 and I applaud her for her tenacious in exercising her freedom, rights, and duty:I am disappointed that no more additional meetings will be held in Waianae, Oahu. I have attended meetings in my community with the military on this very issue of depleted uranium low bid procurement. My complaint is that the military and their moderator always surpressed my testimony."That's one of the next subjects we're going to get to," replied Tad Davis, the Army's deputy assistant secretary for the environment. "Because we are moving in that direction."...The announcement was part of a weeklong effort by Davis, who has been in Honolulu to update Army commanders and community groups about studies focusing on chemical munitions dumped at sea following the end of the war in 1945, as well as other issues affecting the coastal environment."Army spokesman Howard Sugai said earlier in the week that Davis briefed officials from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and members of the local congressional delegations on environmental issues involving everything from depleted uranium to military training in Makua Valley....Yesterday afternoon, Davis met with members of the Ordnance Reef Coordinating Council to brief them on studies to monitor and possibly remove bombs littering waters off Wai'anae. " Honolulu Advertiser 8/6/2009"Tad Davis, the Army's deputy assistant secretary for the environment, safety and occupational health, is in town this week to meet with Army officials, University of Hawaii scientists involved in several of the ocean monitoring and testing programs and members of the staffs of Hawaii's congressional delegation.He also will attend a special session of the Nanakuli and Waianae neighborhood boards tomorrow night to discuss the ongoing environmental issues at Makua Military Reservation, where the Army hopes to resume limited live-fire exercises at the end of this month....Davis said the Army will conduct another series of tests sampling the water, sediment, fish and limu living in the Ordnance Reef area later this month and in September. This is part of an ongoing study -- the first done in May 2006, followed by another one last winter.Davis said the Army, the university and other scientists are still studying the data and video obtained earlier this year by two UH deep-diving submersibles which scoured the ocean bottom at 1,500 feet, five miles south of Pearl Harbor....Davis said the deep-water survey "gave us a better understanding of disposal techniques."It was believed before the survey was started that the chemical weapons were thrown overboard at one site. However, Davis said "the (disposal) vessel was moving on a certain course and disposing of the munitions since they were found in a line on the ocean floor." Honolulu Advertiser 8/4/2009I attended the meeting that was held in secret. To attend I had to locate a resident of Nanakuli that is an affiliate with Senator Hanabusa. At this meeting the University of Hawaii scientist asked if there is any other sites that the community wanted to test he would be willing to come back to Waianae and test source points. I asked him if he had done any plume testing, he said, "no". I asked the sicentist if we brought in samples would that help, he said "no" and that he would have to come out and do the testing himself. I told him I live near a dumping sight where low bid procurement truckers bring debrie home from Schofield to a private land fill in back of my house and the dust from the site inundates my house and community. The evidence is in the gable of my entire roof top. It enters through the portholes on both side of my roof. I live in an area where the winds scrurry. Also too, I live in a community where residence needs to be 50% plus bloodquantum of Hawaiian ancestry. We are under the Department of Hawaiian Homeland and not the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA). The OHA office serves all Hawaiians and do not make the distinction for native Hawaiians with 50% plus bloodquantum. The meeting in Nanakuli, Oahu was held in private, no filming or documentation was allowed for future referenceing by the community. The attendees are community leaders, however depleted uranium was never allowed to be spoken for I have pleaded with these leaders for years on the importance of why I want the military to stop the bombing and clean up their debrie from their land targets.Tad Davis five year sustainable plans for the military installation is to stock pile good soil within the fence of the military base for the safety of their military families, but to remove chemical munitions debrie and contaminated soil outside of the fence. The removal is done by low bid procurement truckers bring home these debrie to their own personal landfill that are sanctioned by the state. This personal dump is directly behind my house and I live outside of the fence line of the military base.The authority, the sustainable plans, and meetings is in need of a colloboration effort between active military and non active military families and their communities for all concerned safety measures. I believe strongly as a native Hawaiian my quality of life is just as important as active military families.
IMHO in some ways Hawai'i is f*cked up. Honesty is punished while being a lying fake is often rewarded. In addition for some people it can be difficult because some risk losing their job and/or their home. I do not blame them. Some people like to think that we are "free" but we are not free if we are not able to freely speak up for doing the right thing. Alot of people risk losing their job though. For others they risk losing their home.
For example one of my aunties in Keaukaha was harassed after she spoke up about hush kits in planes which I mentioned to her that airplanes should have hush kits to make them quieter. She testified to the FAA at a Keaukaha board meeting then they harassed her. Sent her letters claiming that her husband is not "half" Hawaiian. I know how it can be for some Hawaiians.
Anyway Mashable.com posted the eight page complaint by Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) against the Department of Defense, the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence:
ALOHA Mai, e Tane, The OHA Trustees does make the distinction for native Hawaiians with 50% plus Blood Quantum. To qualify for many of the OHA programs such as grants, you need to be a native Hawaiian fo the 50% plus Blood Quantum.
Native Hawaiians of the 50% plus of Blood Quantum who have gone down to the OHA Trustees with their Hands Out based on their 50% plus Blood Quantum knows very well of the OHA Trustees need to comply with the law in regards to native Hawaiians of the 50% plus Blood Quantum.
I spent over 20 years of my life going to the OHA Trustees meetings in the past years. Not with my Hands Out. I went to their meetings holding the OHA Trustees accountable to the laws.
The same when I go down to the State Legislature, I go there as a Hawaiian National of the Hawaiian Kingdom to hold the State Legislators accountable to the laws. This coming Legislature, I will continue to do the same as I've had done in the past. As I believe that Actions Speaks Louder then Words of Venting .............
Imua Ke Aupuni Moi O Hawaii, o Pomai
Comments
IMHO in some ways Hawai'i is f*cked up. Honesty is punished while being a lying fake is often rewarded. In addition for some people it can be difficult because some risk losing their job and/or their home. I do not blame them. Some people like to think that we are "free" but we are not free if we are not able to freely speak up for doing the right thing. Alot of people risk losing their job though. For others they risk losing their home.
For example one of my aunties in Keaukaha was harassed after she spoke up about hush kits in planes which I mentioned to her that airplanes should have hush kits to make them quieter. She testified to the FAA at a Keaukaha board meeting then they harassed her. Sent her letters claiming that her husband is not "half" Hawaiian. I know how it can be for some Hawaiians.
Anyway Mashable.com posted the eight page complaint by Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) against the Department of Defense, the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence:
http://mashable.com/2009/12/02/eff-government-lawsuit/
E malama pono.
Native Hawaiians of the 50% plus of Blood Quantum who have gone down to the OHA Trustees with their Hands Out based on their 50% plus Blood Quantum knows very well of the OHA Trustees need to comply with the law in regards to native Hawaiians of the 50% plus Blood Quantum.
I spent over 20 years of my life going to the OHA Trustees meetings in the past years. Not with my Hands Out. I went to their meetings holding the OHA Trustees accountable to the laws.
The same when I go down to the State Legislature, I go there as a Hawaiian National of the Hawaiian Kingdom to hold the State Legislators accountable to the laws. This coming Legislature, I will continue to do the same as I've had done in the past. As I believe that Actions Speaks Louder then Words of Venting .............
Imua Ke Aupuni Moi O Hawaii, o Pomai