VIEWPOINT: Saint Damien -- Justice for all
By VALERIE MONSON
While we have been reading much about the great faith, charity, compassion and self-sacrifice of Father Damien de Veuster - Saint Damien, as of today - we have heard less about one of his most important traits that helped him change life on the Kalaupapa peninsula: his inherent sense of justice.
That was the message of a resolution read in Rome on Saturday morning by three international organizations dedicated to ensuring that people affected by leprosy no longer be denied their human rights. The resolution titled "A Quest for Justice" was read aloud by people from around the world who have personally experienced leprosy. Their hope is that the canonization of Damien will provide an opportunity to take a closer look at how people who have or who have had leprosy continue to face discrimination and prejudice based on myths, old images and sensational novels.
"Father Damien insisted on justice," reads the resolution. "He insisted that people should not be deprived of their rights or value as human beings because they had a disease. He saw the value, dignity and inspiration in each person."
The resolution, which was adopted last May in anticipation of the canonization, was prepared and signed by leaders of IDEA (the International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement), ILEP (the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations) and AIFO (the Italian Association Amici Di Raoul Follereau). Among those who signed the document were Clarence "Boogie" Kahilihiwa, president of Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa, and Makia Malo, a member of the 'Ohana Board of Directors and the IDEA liason with Hawaii. The 'Ohana is a nonprofit organization made up of Kalaupapa residents, family members and longtime friends.
The resolution states that to honor the work of Father Damien, three things need to be made clear:
1. Leprosy is curable.
2. The term "leper" is not appropriate in modern times. Although the word was a historical term used during Damien's day, it has taken on increasingly negative connotations over the last century and is considered offensive by many who have had the disease and their families.
3. People who have experienced leprosy are equal partners.
From the moment that Damien landed on the shores of Kalaupapa in 1873, he was keenly aware of the violations of human rights being imposed upon people because they had contracted leprosy. He saw the anguish and turmoil caused by government policies that called for those with the disease to be separated from their loved ones and shipped to the Kalaupapa peninsula with no hope of reuniting with them.
Damien himself wrote to the government and asked that spouses be allowed to accompany their mates. In the new book, "Father Damien: A Bit of Taro, A Piece of Fish and A Glass of Water," authors Anwei and Henry Law reveal that Damien, in his report to the Board of Health in 1886, described how breaking up married couples can lead to "an oppression of mind which in many instances is more unbearable than the pain and agonies of the disease itself." Damien understood that because of the despair over the loss of family, some people in the original settlement of Kalawao would engage in reckless behavior and conduct themselves in ways they ordinarily wouldn't if they still had the comfort of loved ones.
Damien did not arrive at Kalaupapa with an air of superiority and he never developed one. From the beginning, he was a man of the people. He worked closely with those he had come to serve and he formed lasting friendships with many of the Kalaupapa residents as well as with the royal family, which was greatly concerned about the impacts of leprosy on the Hawaiian people.
When Damien arrived on the peninsula, he already spoke the Hawaiian language. He ate the same food as everyone else. He was not a man of pity, but a man of action who respected others. He advocated for more food, proper medical care, warmer clothes and better housing.
Those who knew Father Damien and who were later interviewed about him - most of them Hawaiians - spoke of him more as a brother than someone on high. All of this - Damien's kindness, his ability to fit in, his tireless energy, his innate sense of justice and, of course, his great love of God - led to Damien the Saint. It should come as no surprise that there is a grass-roots movement to name Damien the Patron Saint of Human Rights.
If we want to follow in Saint Damien's footsteps, we must not only reach out to others, but work hand-in-hand as equals for the betterment of us all.
* Valerie Monson is coordinator of Ka 'Ohana O Kalaupapa. She was formerly a staff writer for The Maui News and has interviewed and written about the people of Kalaupapa for more than 20 years. She lives in Makawao.
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REPUBLICANS HAVE A HEALTH CARE PLAN
It has been a long wait, but the Republicans have finally come up with a plan to reform health care. It was eight years in the planning, but it is pure Republican thinking. It consists of two stages. First stage: Don't get sick. Second stage: Die quickly.
There is the plan that took eight years to come up with. It is a masterpiece of GOP thinking. After all, only rich people should have health insurance, right? I would have expected no less from the Republican Party.
Donald Estes
Kihei
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BIKE PATH A GOOD IDEA BUT DONE INCORRECTLY
I was dismayed when I read Dave DeLeon's Viewpoint (Sept. 27) and The Maui News article (Sept. 22) on the new bike path in Paia because both of them neglect to say that it is illegal to segment a project in the special management area.
Mr. DeLeon and I had it out several years ago when I pointed out to the planning commission that it is against SMA rules to not approve the whole project but only parts of a project, i.e., the first part to Spreckelsville and the last part of the bike path to Paia but not the middle part. Mr. DeLeon wants it to run makai of the golf course in the dunes, where there are many burial sites and blowing sand. He and others want a 15-foot cement pathway in the dunes. It wasn't practical to either move Hana Highway over a lane or two, or build a path along the highway with a green buffer, according to him.
I wonder how the county is paying for the paving from Paia to Baldwin Beach Park, on what I think is Alexander & Baldwin land so they own the bikeway and the alternate road but the county paid to improve it. Good planning not only comes from developers, but from the commissions set up to enforce the rules - and that's you, planning commission and Planning Department.
A bike path around the island is an awesome idea but should be planned and executed with the environment in consideration.
Christina Hemming
Haiku
*****
YOUNG WORKERS SHOW PROFESSIONALISM
Jurassic Stone Works just completed the countertops in our kitchen.
Our pleasure was working with the young men that did the installation, Mike, Zach and Scott. The entire time they were here, they showed a level of professionalism, manners, courtesy and verbal communication that is highly unusual in today's young people.
Our thanks and appreciation go out to the people who certainly raised them right.
Barbara Roark and Ray Racette
Kihei
*****
THE RIGHT IS RIGHT, THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD
Where is the outrage?
When the Dixie Chicks made an off-the-cuff criticism of President George W. Bush while in Europe, Fox News and the right had a fit to the point of death threats because they criticized him while in another country.
When Sarah Palin made a prepared speech criticizing President Barack Obama to the communist Chinese in China, nary a word.
The right keeps complaining about a double standard and I guess they are correct.
Gary Thompson
Wailuku
*****
AXIS DEER ARTICLES WERE FAIR AND UNBIASED
I want to applaud Chris Hamilton's Sept. 27 articles on the problem of axis deer. The two articles were so on point and well presented an unemotional description of the problems. I never thought anyone on Maui would see the problem in the big picture and give a fair, unbiased report on this major issue.
Thank you. I really appreciate the work done on these articles. Keep up the very good way of reporting that is shown there.
Greg Lau
Kula
*****
FOIE GRAS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED FROM MENUS
We recently held two protest demonstrations opposing serving foie gras.
We found the community very receptive to our protests and many folks passing by took our pamphlets and pledged to never eat this cruel dish.
Foie gras causes terrible pain and suffering for weeks before slaughter of ducks and is rated the most cruel of all factory farming methods. The ducks are restrained and a person jams a long metal pole down the animals' throats and turns on an air-driven pump which pumps pounds and pounds of corn mush down the animals' necks three times a day. This happens daily until its liver becomes diseased and fatty. Foie gras is a diseased enlarged liver.
For a restaurant to justify serving foie gras is inhumane.
Most animals are raised and slaughtered, but ducks and geese who are raised for foie gras endure pain and suffering beyond compare. It is merely an extravagance that is not necessary .
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed a bill to make foie gras illegal in California in 2012. More than 15 countries in Europe have done it too.
We, the demonstrators, hope that Hawaii will follow in footsteps of California and make foie gras illegal in Hawaii.
If you have knowledge to help pass a law to make this illegal, please call me 879-0025
Please take this pledge to not eat foie gras and help us end this in Hawaii.
Barbara Steinberg
Kihei
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CONSIDER THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Sustainability is definitely the buzzword these days. Maui and Hawaii are suffering from budget, housing and environmental challenges.
There is a guiding principle - triple bottom line - that clearly delineates what any public policy or business decision must take into account: Social/cultural, environmental and economic impact. This means that long-term costs or savings need to be considered. For instance, if we lay off agricultural inspectors, while we can save several million dollars now, will it cost us hundreds of millions of dollars in the long run? Will our already struggling small farms be forced out of business? Will the cost of food for Maui residents go up and tax revenues go down (all economic considerations) which will decrease social services and education funding (social considerations)?
Also relevant to agriculture: If we spend slightly more to provide our schoolchildren with fresh instead of processed food for lunch, it will support local farmers (economic), which will keep our landscape green (environmental), make our keiki healthier (social) - which will help them learn better - and improve school test scores (economic), decrease the incidence of diabetes (social), and reduce health care costs (economic).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently made the shocking prediction that one in three children born in the United States in 2000 will likely develop Type 2 diabetes sometime in their lifetime and half of all minority children (including Native Hawaiians) will contract this debilitating disease.
Scrimping on the essentials is not sustainable - and much too expensive.
Netra Halperin
Kihei
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PLANTATION SHOULD SEEK COMMUNITY INPUT
The story on the upcoming five-month shutdown of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. sugar harvesting (The Maui News, Sept. 22) contained a large factual error.
The story states, "Through the midpoint of its fiscal year, A&B's agribusiness sector (which includes Kauai Coffee) had lost $13.2 million, with the prospect of further losses for the rest of the year. In 2008, the company's agriculture business just about broke even."
In fact, Alexander & Baldwin's agricultural sector lost $13 million in 2008, as stated in the Feb. 7 Maui News editorial, "Water key to HC&S future."
Surely A&B Chief Financial Officer Chris Benjamin, now plantation manager, must realize the time has come to make significant changes. It would be refreshing for the plantation and its parent company to invite community input for ideas and strategies to help them green their operations, both financially and environmentally.
Let's open the planning and visioning process to invite the best and brightest minds to help create a win-win future for both the plantation and the community.
Rob Parsons
Haiku
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IF TODDLER DIVISION EXISTS, IT IS VERY WRONG
I find it outrageous that they not only hold ultimate fighting events at our Maui County's War Memorial complex, but, at these events I have heard they have a 2-year-old division. Where do you find 2-year-olds engaging in a full-contact sport? What have we come to?
I am a mother of a 2-year-old and fret that we are breeding a generation of barbarians who will have seared consciences. This sort of violence will be second nature to them. This is how they will resolve their problems and differences, not peacefully but with violence and brutality.
Muriel Kuroda
Kihei
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THERE ARE PROBLEMS BIGGER THAN SEAT BELTS
This law requiring people to wear seat belts has good intentions, but it infringes on one's rights. Wearing seat belts is a preventive measure that helps once in a while. In most cases, the main problem is speeding.
The penalty for not wearing seat belts takes away income from the family. It also takes time for police to look for these offenders. Instead, they should solve the problem of those people getting out of hand at Charley Young Beach Park who drink alcohol beverages. Banning alcohol beverages is an easy way to stop drinking alcohol beverage, instead we have to find solutions and find out how we can stop these disturbances.
They could also spend more time seeking drug dealers. Many users of drugs are good people but they just get addicted to drugs, simply by trying or peer pressure. Sometimes these people want to make an impression on others that they are macho. Many families are hurt and lose money or other valuables because these addicted drug users need money to provide for their next hit. Many of these addicted drug users also steal from other families, tourists and even banks. Many families don't know that their own children are addicted and stealing until they get caught.
One day the drug cartel will be so big that we have problems what are out of hand. There's many killings in border cities. Drug use is growing. Go after drug dealers, not people not using seat belts.
Francis K. Ibara
Kahului
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HYBRID CAR WILL BE AFFORDBLE TO FEW
It's been obviously lately how blind the American public has plunged, excluding those of the middle class scoffed upon for attending town hall meetings, during our current period of economic slowdown. The residual are wandering in the murk concocted by the current administration's environmental agenda.
When the haze blew away recently, we saw an exclusive economically friendly hybrid sports car developed by a company with financial ties to former vice president, presidential candidate and green proponent/czar Al Gore receive billions of dollars of U.S. Treasury money to supplement and stimulate its development. Although this might appear a great idea to those marketing a $71,000 economically friendly vehicle, the money is being invested in Finland where it's to be built and the average American will not be able to afford one. Although, this will provide a status symbol for the liberal few who can afford one to park on their front lawn and crow about their sensitivity to the environment.
This action should prove as beneficial to our economy as the latest government stimulus fiasco of $4,000 for "junkers" traded in for fuel-efficient vehicles - most owned by foreign automobile companies.
Ray Pezzoli Jr.
Kihei / Avila Beach, Calif.
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GENEROSITY OF A FEW SAVES TRIP
My husband's family and I visited Maui recently after not seeing one another in many months and after not being together as a family for almost two years.
I had my wallet stolen while in the restroom of the Lahaina Cannery Mall. It was all the money we had for our trip and it occurred only 24 hours after we arrived on the island. My husband and I aren't rich. We can barely pay our bills sometimes and that was money we had saved up for a long time for our food and other needs while on Maui.
If it wasn't for the kindness of a few Maui residents, I think I would have left Maui with a bad taste in my mouth and my trip would have been completely ruined. I wanted to thank Tony and Stephen, the two security persons at the mall that day who tried to comfort my husband and I. I also want to thank Bob from the Elephant Walk store in Lahaina, who showed me, with a beautiful token gift, that not all Mauians are bad.
For the teenage girl who took my money out of my wallet instead of turning it all in: I will pray for you. I will never understand why you did it, but hopefully someday you will understand the impact of what you did to me.
Melissa Murawski
South Bend, Ind.
*****
THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN CUT BEFORE EDUCATION
A decision was made - under great duress, I'm sure - to reduce the quality of our children's education and to put a number of them at risk in a variety of ways. We should not take this lightly - neither as parents nor citizens.
In these very difficult times, we need to look hard at how our tax dollars are being spent to provide us with vital services. According to a Maui News poll, the majority of us believe funds should be found elsewhere in the budget to keep our kids in public schools full time. Parents are up in arms and publicly protesting at Maui schools.
While many services that impact the public good are being cut, other more questionable expenditures have not been examined. For example, what about the $70 million-plus county and state tax dollars that are annually given to the visitor industry with virtually no accountability? Clearly, those funds are not bearing fruit for the citizens of Hawaii right now.
These are not easy decisions. However, it is time for us to look at some budgetary sacred cows and decide whether we are really committed to Hawaii's families. Certainly parents throughout the state will be asking legislators whether we as a community (because these are our schools and this is our government) have truly given up on our children and their future, or whether we will be able to make decisions that reflect the moral courage and fortitude necessary to do the right thing.
Shay Chan Hodges
Haiku
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ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NECESSARY
I am a 24-year-old man with cerebral palsy. I really want to share a story with you: My aide Whitney and I were picking up some milk in Makawao for my mom, Raje Anand, and we were amazed by the lack of access for people with disabilities.
I really want to encourage you to go there and see for yourself, because that really made an impact on me and I think it would do the same for you.
I am encouraging the County Council to incorporate this into a committee agenda. We need to work together on this and make a difference for the people of our Maui community.
Ramoda Anand
and Whitney Geier
Makawao
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HELP PROTECT NESTING SEABIRDS
Early in the morning of Sept. 30 at least 15 shearwater seabirds at Kamaole III were killed and their young chicks left with no hope of survival. Through the help of neighbors, Maui police and a Department of Land and Natural Resources officer, two dogs likely responsible for the carnage were found and confined by the Maui Humane Society.
These were not wild and mean killers. They appeared to be family pets.
The moral of this story for us is that even loving, domestic dogs can turn into killers when unleashed in certain circumstances. Ground-nesting seabirds are clumsy on land and if grounded they cannot run or fly. They become easy targets for one dog and are no match for two dogs working as a team.
This is not nature at work. These defenseless seabirds come back each year to nest and raise one chick before returning to the open ocean. It is during that four-month stay on Maui that they are most in danger.
We post seasonal informational signage and traps for cats, mongoose and rats.
We can't trap dogs. Owners must be held responsible for their dogs when out on walks and also held responsible when their dogs escape their yards. These birds predate all of their predators on Maui and must be protected when here to nest.
We hope the moral of the story for everyone is that even the friendly family dog could be responsible for devastation to these federally protected seabirds.
Bob and Lis Richardson
Kihei
*****
MEDICARE IS PAID FOR DURING WORKING YEARS
Letter writer Jon Betwee, M.D., (Sept. 30) claims that Medicare is a welfare program. When I was working, Social Security and Medicare payments were automatically deducted from my paycheck, so I do not understand the doctor's claim that Medicare is a welfare program.
His letter chastises me for my Sept. 13 letter which reveals I am happy with the service I receive from original Medicare. What happens between him and Medicare is something I know nothing about, but I do know that Medicaid is welfare while Medicare is something we paid for when employed. The FICA deduction sure removed lots of my paycheck, but, as a retiree, I am glad it happened because now I need this coverage.
Although the state mandated that employers provide employees with health care insurance, employers had a choice of either providing single coverage or family plan insurance, which is more expensive.
The medical profession should be happy that our state requires employers to protect
their workers with a health plan. This not only benefits workers, it also benefits the medical professionals as sick people will drop in to give them business when they know the insurance company will pick up the tab.
The problem we have now, as I understand it, is health reform is necessary because insurance company premiums are unaffordable, leaving millions uninsured.
Dr. Betwee, there is Medicare run by private insurance companies and Medicare run by the government. Maybe the private ones are operating in Washington, D.C.
Rick Medina
Wailuku
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EVENT FINDS SPEEDERS IN SCHOOL ZONE
From 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Sept. 24, motorists on Baldwin Avenue in front of the Montessori School of Maui were observed by the students of the school. One of the students organized a demonstration with the help of a parent who has a radar gun.
More than 191 vehicles passed the school, a marked and designated school zone of 20 miles per hour. Only five vehicles were clocked at the speed limit or less. The average speed clocked was 29.8 mph. The highest speed recorded was 48 mph, with 10 vehicles over 40 mph. A dump truck pulling a trailer was clocked at 40 mph. A school bus went through at 25 mph. The police department had an officer there busily writing tickets with many offenders getting through unticketed because she was so busy. One driver was unlicensed and the car had expired registration, safety check and no insurance.
The following day, minus the children waving signs, flags and hands, radar was again done. From 7:45 to 8:15 a.m., the following observations were noted: Highest speed recorded was 41 mph, with five cars out of 86 doing the speed limit; average speed went up to 34.4 mph; a school bus came through at 31 mph.
The Montessori family would like to thank officer Dawn Danley, Sgt. Barry Aoki and Wailuku patrol Capt. Jody Singsank for their help and participation in this student endeavor.
Mike Wilson
Kula
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THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS THE PROBLEM
State Sen. Gary Hooser (Viewpoint, Sept. 28) can go jump in the lake.
I'm getting a wee bit weary of our state legislators who, after doubling the state's spending budget in an economic downturn, overturned the governor's budget veto and have been incrementally increasing our taxes ever since and voting themselves big, fat pay raises and spending our tax dollars on ridiculous pork projects, feel the need to fault the governor for trying to deal with the situation that they created.
They seem to think that we have all the time in the world to play with balancing the budget while our debt and interest mounts daily. It's really easy to fault someone who is trying to make the tough decisions fairly when you are the one who created the problem and can offer no alternative solutions.
If Hooser really wants to be lieutenant governor, he should put up or shut up. How convenient that the only time that we hear from our Legislature is when it wants something.
I know that based on what he has done in office to date, I wouldn't vote for him even if he were to run for dog catcher.
Terri Churchill
Hana
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MILITARY MEMBERS HELP KEEP FREEDOMS
I was appalled to read the disrespectful letter printed Sept. 27 regarding military service. I would like to suggest that without the military and dedication of so many people over the years, there might not be a place in this world like the USA where a person has so many freedoms. One of these freedoms is the freedom of speech which enables the letter writer to express, "I hate the USA so passionately" in print.
I personally respect, appreciate, honor and thank all of the individuals who have served in (including the letter writer and his daughter) and are currently serving in the U.S. military for their service to this country so that we still have that freedom of speech.
I would like to suggest that if someone truly feels they "hate the USA," there are many other places in the world to live.
Susan Saltmarsh Richard
Kihei / Gig Harbor, Wash.
