Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 5, 1 Mei 1999 — Lawsuit [ARTICLE]

Lawsuit

Rice vi. Cayetano is a strong challenge to the sovereignty movement. The charge of "reverse racism" to subvert legitimate claims is not new. Maleolm X, Nelson Mandela and even Martin Luther King were also accused of "reverse racism." To any fair-minded individual, the whole premise of Rice vs. Cayetano is obscene. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs was founded as a democratie and representative organization to meet the concerns of a group whose sovereignty had been stolen. In order to represent Native Hawaiians, trustees are elected by that group. Rice argues individuals not members of that group should also be allowed to vote. Why should people who are not victims need representation by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs? I don't think most reasonable people ean doubt that Rice's purpose is to undermine the sovereignty movement in Hawai'i. The wealthy descendants of those who conspired to overthrow the legitimate Hawaiian government and tum it over to the United States

believe they ean use their resources to control Native Hawaiian institutions. I sincerely hope these attempts do not succeed, and if they do, that every decent person in Hawai'i would band together to assure that no benefit is gained ffom such injustices. Mahalo. Paul Kekai Manansala Sacramento

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