Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 7, 1 July 2008 — View from Inside [ARTICLE]

View from Inside

The use of crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and aleohol is rapidly destroying the

lives of many of those destined to inherit a Hawaiian Kingdom. Our state and federal jails and prisons are choked with young Polynesian men and women, most coming from 'Ewa Beach, Wai'anae, Waipahu and Neighbor Island communities. As socio-economic factors feed their anger, youthful feelings of invincibility compound their vulnerability to drug addiction and alcoholism as well as to the criminalbehaviorthataccompanies both. Our state's tourism-based economy has no real jobs, time or money for them. Our state puhlie schools are physically in a shambles, while private schools that have a charter to benefit young Hawaiians have an elitist mentality. Hawaiian sovereignty groups are too busy disagreeing with eaeh other to focus on their true future and its leadership, "their children." In many cases the lights and nightlife of Waikīkl is the heaeon that draws man y of these young men and women like iron shavings to its magnet, "the streets," where gangs are fonned and violence erupts. The stories are most always the same: stolen cars, burglary, guns, crystal meth and assault

until for a few, a life is lost in a criminal act born of social and eeonomie intolerance and not of lethal criminal intent. Organizations such as Alu Like and OHA should be conunended for their eoneem and persistent support of programs for endangered Hawaiian youths. I am a non-Hawaiian inmate of O'ahu Conununity Correctional Center. I am a former Honolulu Poliee officer and a eoeaine addict; I have seen it all from both sides of the fence. I spend most of my time in prison helping these kids to write letters to loved ones and drug-treatment program. I am grateful for this opportunity, but I need help. Please, instead of occupying the Capitol grounds, go out and walk the streets and beaches of 'Ewa and Waikīkl. Find these young men and women, take them under your flag and teach them the pride in themselves, their culture and their heritage that will prevent them from the further polluhon of their minds and bodies that drugs, aleohol and a lost identity permits Miehael Spiker lnmate, advocate oeee