Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2000 — Paradox [ARTICLE]

Paradox

Hawai'i ean be described as a land of acts of sharing with exiles and % showing them aloha, one and all. Dr. Sun Yat Sen rested here and planned his move to make China modern by wresting it from the reigning Manehu dynasty. Singman Rhee of Korea likewise in Hawai'i planned to replace the reigning royal family dynasty in Korea. Even Benigno Aquino rested temporarily in Hawai'i, planning to remrn to the Philippines to replace a dictator, whieh, though not successful, was a fateful effort. Conversely, the deposed Philippine dictator sought asylum in Hawai'i and found a final resting plaee. These events are notable national quests among others. Many paths pass through Hawai'i. And Hawai'i has been the site of the germination of ideas mostly toward freedom and justice. The irony is while Hawai'i has been the birthplaee of such events, Hawai'i has had its own injustices left unresolved. In this land of former exiles, native or otherwise, seeking betterment for their countrymen, what is the fumre for Native Hawaiians in their homeland? This paradox suggests the recall of the concept of the Pu'uhonua and the rebirth of a refuge to provide for future protection against being permanently overwhelmed. Louis Buzzy Agard Honolulu See LETTERS on page 3