http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-ka-leo-lost-its-way.html
This was after my conflict with then Opinion editors Sarah Nishioka and Tim Metra over the article I wanted to publish called "Arm Our Campus Security"
Well, this semester, we have a new Opinion editor Doorae Shin who was willing to publish that same editorial. The bottom was the version of the same article with Shin's editing (which I have no problem with)
Like many campuses, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has its own security force. They are the eyes and ears of the campus. They look out for suspicious activity, record all reported incidents, give safety tips and even break up fights. But what can they do if there’s a mass shooting on campus? Not much.
Our campus security is unarmed. Sure, the campus security can call the police. But the police cannot secure every area on this island. And when it comes to the UH campus, police are not the first line of defense ¬– they are merely the back-up. And when a shooting occurs, every second counts.
While we wait for the police to arrive in such a situation, should everyone on campus simply hope and pray that the shooter runs out of bullets? It shouldn’t have to be this way. We shouldn’t have to wait for the police to arrive to defend ourselves. We need someone right there ready to shoot back when the bullets start flying.
Real life armed security
There is evidence of the effectiveness of having armed security. Let’s look at Israel, a country surrounded by hostile enemies. In a nation that deals with real terrorism, the people do not just hope and wait for someone to save them, and they do not rely solely on unarmed security. In Israel, the people know that a command presence is no match for an armed psychotic killer without any compassion.
In Israel, armed security at schools is required for schools with over 100 students. (source: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/rpt/2013-R-0119.htm ) This has been policy since 1995, and there have been no public school shootings since. (source: http://video.foxnews.com/v/2176061011001/what-america-can-learn-from-israel-about-school-security/ posted 2/19/2013)
Real life example of unarmed security
For those of you who believe that Hawaii is far different from Israel and that we do not need to be paranoid, we can look at Norway as an example. This is a country that has gone decades without facing an external threat. There wasn’t much of an internal threat either. That is until 2011, when a crazed gunman shot a group of teenaged campers.
Not only was the security unarmed, but a large percentage of the police officers were as well. Some in Norway defend the policy by claiming that an unarmed police force makes for a safer society.
(source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/world/europe/26police.html )
However, decades of calm had made Norwegian society complacent. It gave the people the false illusions that they are evolved enough to not require an armed police or security force. Those in Israel know that from hard experience which explains the prevalence of armed security. This is why they take no chances.
While Hawai‘i doesn’t have to deal with the terroristic threat as regularly as the Israelis, we can learn from Norway’s experience and admit that we cannot be complacent, either. It’s time we have a campus security ready for any disaster. It’s time we have a campus security that is ready to shoot back. Lives depend on it.
No slander, no intend to offend, just an opinion on an important !
However, the upper-level editors didn't approve of it. They said it was too paranoid!
Excuse me, too paranoid?
If on September 10, 2001, you mentioned about planes being flown into skyscrapers, you might have been dismissed as being paranoid! (you already know what happened the day after)
The whole point of the article was to discuss how we should respond to events, however unlikely, if they do happen can have extremely devastating consequences!
When Doorae Shin told me about the upper-level editors calling it "too paranoid" I just knew it was because they wanted to suppress any expression of non-pacifist, non-lefty view points!
The editing suggestions had NOTHING to do with grammar (Doorae Shin already took care of that issue) or about verifying facts (I provided citations)!
I then talked to the new faculty advisor. His name is James Gonser. He was a veteran reporter at Honolulu Advertiser. That newspaper was your typical center-left newspaper with its official editorial ALWAYS calling for more gun control.
And what do you know? He suggested I add other ways to prevent campus shootings (ie social workers, etc) into the same article NEVERMIND THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN A NEWSPAPER OPINION ARTICLE TO GO OVER EVERY SINGLE WAY TO PREVENT A CAMPUS SHOOTING!
If I did add all that, guess what the editors will say --- "too broad, need a narrower focus"
And yeah, the faculty advisor (James Gonser) is a gun-phobic extremist. He said in snarling voice that it's scary to have armed campus security!, but he did admit it was an opinion. But it did give an insight to his view of the world and why he defended the gun-phobic upper-level editors.
I also told Gonser that I was an Opinion writer for Ka Leo back in my undergraduate years (2000-2004) and that back then an article like that would've been published. I also told him that the editors of that era allowed for combative, edgy editorials
Gonser then said in a snarling voice "You Think That's a Good Thing"
I told him that it was much more interesting and entertaining!
Gonser then complained that it is "Fox News style" (notice Gonser's liberal bias there, notice he didn't compare it to "Bill Maher's style" who is also edgy, combative and confrontational ) and that Ka Leo is now more about being professional! Blah, Blah, Blah!
I then told Gonser and Doorae Shin that it will take me some time to digest all of what they said
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Well, guess what?
After that meeting, the Ka Leo had a new controversy.
In promoting the Arts Festival ( which happened 10/24/2013), they sponsored a few murals on the walls surrounding the still-renovating Campus Center!
Well, one of the murals protested against the new telescope (sponsored by UH) on Mauna Kea.
The Ka Leo staff covered up the written message on that mural!
Jessica Homrich / Ka Leo O Hawai‘i
The mural
Well, that pissed off a lot of activists on campus, bringing a whole bunch of them protesting outside the Ka Leo office!
Jessica Homrich / Ka Leo O Hawai‘i
students protesting outside the Ka Leo office
With all this pressure, the Board of Publications (who governs Ka Leo and other student publications) published an apology in this week's edition of the Ka Leo
my photograph of the apology
printed in Ka Leo's Volumer 109, Issue 23
Board of Publication's apology
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During that whole controversy, I was still thinking about what to do in response to the editor's suggestion to my editorial on campus security!
Well,I have an answer now!
I will put up posters around campus saying this
Ka Leo
Doesn’t just censor murals
They also censored an opinion article
expressing the need for armed campus security
The Editors refused to publish
saying it was too paranoid!
Their faculty advisor is a gun-phobic person
who says an armed campus security is “scary”
I think what’s even scarier is if an incident happen
and the campus security can’t do anything but wait for
help
Read and judge for yourself!
then I will put QR codes for this blog post!
Whether I will still be allowed to write for Ka Leo, whatevers!!!!!!
If they won't publish my editorial on a crucial issue, why should I defer to them?
Plus, it's not like they have much credibility on campus right now!
I feel bad for putting Doorae Shin in this position, but I need to take a stand against the upper-level editors! Them and their faculty advisor needs to be exposed to the light!
PS: I'm taking a class on Intellectual Freedom this semester. The class discussed the mural issue, but I haven't talked to them about my issues with the editors . I might to have next class if someone else brings it up. Stay tuned!
