Conflict over Gaza Strip
The Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting over land for 50+ years. This started because during the late 1800's/ early 1900's, many European Jews wanted to go back to their ancestral land. However, at the time, the Palestinian Arabs dominated what is now Israel.
After the 1st World War, the British took the land that is now Israel. Some Jews moved in. Then, in World War 2, Hitler invaded other European nations and killed many Jews there. After World War 2, the Jewish desire for land in Israel grew stronger. Many European Jews, traumatized by the Holocaust, moved to the British territory of Israel. In 1948, Israel became an independent Jewish nation.
Since 1948, there has plenty of land conflicts between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. In a recent deal, Palestinian Arabs take over Gaza Strip. All Israeli Jews have to leave.
That is wrong! If the Jews want to stay in Gaza Strip, let them. Let them live under the Palestinian Authority if they wish.
And if Palestinian Arabs want to live in Israel, let them!
This is the 21st Century already, stop the segregation already!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Images of Hawaii
Everytime something goes wrong in Hawaii, there's always a whiner who say it'll scare away the tourists.
For example, when the University of Hawaii football got into a fight with the players from Cincinnati (2002) and Houston(2003), a bunch of letters to the editor said it'll scare away the tourists.
Nevermind that fights happen at sports events worldwide.
Now, there's this film about transvestite hookers in downtown Honolulu that will be shown on HBO
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/14/il/508140305.html
(NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: I am NOT attracted to transvestites. Just because I mention their existence doesn't mean I'll date them.)
Anyways, some will say that film will scare tourists away from Hawaii.
Nevermind that
1) transvestites exist worldwide
2) a person has to got to be Mega-Stupid if he/she let a film about Hawaii transvestites think that they dominate Hawaii's population.
3) Those transvestites only hang out in Hotel Street (in downtown Honolulu) and in Waikiki. (NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: this is a well known fact, just because one knows about it doesn't mean one is into it) Those areas are probably less than 1% of all land space in Hawaii.
Now, how do you think the folks in LA feel when outsiders think of their city as gangsta-land? How do you think the folks in Alabama and Mississippi feel when outsiders only know those places as KKK territory? How do you think the Middle East people feel when outsiders only think of their place as the land of terrorists? How do you think Africans feel when their continent is portrayed as a land of eternal warfare and eternal famine?
Everyplace got their problems! It does no good to sweep it under the rug!
So if I was to make a film/book/record about Hawaii, I'll discuss many things. The nice beaches, the trade winds, the nice forests, the plate lunch restaurants, the Polynesian music, the great parks, the friendly people with the Aloha spirit, etc.
But I'll also mention about the crystal meth labs, homelessness, the poverty in both rural and urban areas. I'll discuss cultural conflicts ( ie. Caucasians vs. Native Hawaiians, Samoans vs. Asian immigrants, Samoans vs. Micronesians)
Some say mentioning those things will scare away tourists. Whatevers! I rather keep it real. Plus, if I was living in (for example) Iowa, I want to know all about Hawaii. I dont just want to know about the beaches, the ukuleles, volcanoes, hula festivals, etc. I also want to know what are controversial problems occuring in Hawaii. I want to know all the facts.
Me, I'd like to visit Miami. I know that city has a problem with crime. I know that city has had racial conflicts. But that doesn't keep me from being interested in visiting Miami. I'm interested in Miami because it has a similar climate to Hawaii, but is also culturally different from Hawaii. Whereas Hawaii is dominated by Asians and Polynesians, Miami is dominated by Latinos, Carribean blacks, African Americans, Jews, Caucasians, etc.
A lot of people in Hawaii visit Las Vegas. Did the fact that 2pac was killed in Las Vegas stop people from visiting Las Vegas? No!
So Hawaii residents should stop worrying about football fights, Hotel Street transvestites, etc scaring away tourists
Everytime something goes wrong in Hawaii, there's always a whiner who say it'll scare away the tourists.
For example, when the University of Hawaii football got into a fight with the players from Cincinnati (2002) and Houston(2003), a bunch of letters to the editor said it'll scare away the tourists.
Nevermind that fights happen at sports events worldwide.
Now, there's this film about transvestite hookers in downtown Honolulu that will be shown on HBO
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Aug/14/il/508140305.html
(NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: I am NOT attracted to transvestites. Just because I mention their existence doesn't mean I'll date them.)
Anyways, some will say that film will scare tourists away from Hawaii.
Nevermind that
1) transvestites exist worldwide
2) a person has to got to be Mega-Stupid if he/she let a film about Hawaii transvestites think that they dominate Hawaii's population.
3) Those transvestites only hang out in Hotel Street (in downtown Honolulu) and in Waikiki. (NOTE TO IMMATURE READERS: this is a well known fact, just because one knows about it doesn't mean one is into it) Those areas are probably less than 1% of all land space in Hawaii.
Now, how do you think the folks in LA feel when outsiders think of their city as gangsta-land? How do you think the folks in Alabama and Mississippi feel when outsiders only know those places as KKK territory? How do you think the Middle East people feel when outsiders only think of their place as the land of terrorists? How do you think Africans feel when their continent is portrayed as a land of eternal warfare and eternal famine?
Everyplace got their problems! It does no good to sweep it under the rug!
So if I was to make a film/book/record about Hawaii, I'll discuss many things. The nice beaches, the trade winds, the nice forests, the plate lunch restaurants, the Polynesian music, the great parks, the friendly people with the Aloha spirit, etc.
But I'll also mention about the crystal meth labs, homelessness, the poverty in both rural and urban areas. I'll discuss cultural conflicts ( ie. Caucasians vs. Native Hawaiians, Samoans vs. Asian immigrants, Samoans vs. Micronesians)
Some say mentioning those things will scare away tourists. Whatevers! I rather keep it real. Plus, if I was living in (for example) Iowa, I want to know all about Hawaii. I dont just want to know about the beaches, the ukuleles, volcanoes, hula festivals, etc. I also want to know what are controversial problems occuring in Hawaii. I want to know all the facts.
Me, I'd like to visit Miami. I know that city has a problem with crime. I know that city has had racial conflicts. But that doesn't keep me from being interested in visiting Miami. I'm interested in Miami because it has a similar climate to Hawaii, but is also culturally different from Hawaii. Whereas Hawaii is dominated by Asians and Polynesians, Miami is dominated by Latinos, Carribean blacks, African Americans, Jews, Caucasians, etc.
A lot of people in Hawaii visit Las Vegas. Did the fact that 2pac was killed in Las Vegas stop people from visiting Las Vegas? No!
So Hawaii residents should stop worrying about football fights, Hotel Street transvestites, etc scaring away tourists
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