Today is officially Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His actual birthday was on January 15.
In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. I want to link on an article in the Honolulu Advertiser about church groups in the Samoan and Micronesian community promoting peace.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Jan/13/ln/hawaii801130365.html
On December 26, 2007, Fusitogamala Iosefa Savea (who is Samoan) was stabbed to death by RJ Ham (who is Chuukese) right in front of Kuhio Park Terrace (KPT).
There have been conflicts between Samoans and Micronesians in various public housing complexes in Honolulu, including KPT, Mayor Wright's and Palolo Valley Housing.
Savea's death may or may not be connected with those other incidents. But people have been worried that Savea's death would cause some Samoans to retaliate against Micronesians who were not involved in Savea's murder.
Religious leaders from both the Samoan and Micronesian communities came together and try to promote peace and reconciliation! A Micronesian church group attended Savea's funeral to show unity with the Samoan community! They even followed a Samoan ritual called ifoga .
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Jan/13/ln/hawaii801130365.html
In the Samoan tradition, an ifoga is a ritualized formal apology where those seeking forgiveness humble themselves before the person or family that was hurt. An ifoga can take days. Those seeking forgiveness may have to wait in the hot sun or through the rainy night and there is no guarantee that the apology will be accepted. There is no guarantee there won't be retaliation on the spot.
If the matter is very serious, the high chief from the village of the accused would perform the ifoga.
It is a very humbling gesture on the part of those asking for mercy.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Environmental Thoughts
1) There are some environmentalists who want the government to ban stores from using or offering plastic bags. They claim that those bags will only get wasted and fill our landfills.
Some on the Honolulu's City Council want to go along with that idea.
Here is my letter to the Honolulu Star Bulletin on it
http://starbulletin.com/2008/01/17/editorial/letters.html
Plastic bags reusable, keep things dry
Those who attempt to ban plastic bags say that most plastic bags are never used again. But I, as well as some other people, reuse those bags. I usually carry my water bottle in a plastic bag because it's easier to carry it that way. Also, if I enter a store that bans beverages, my water bottle is covered. It's also good when I enter a store that sells beverages to have my own water bottle in a plastic bag, so the store employee knows I had it before entering the store.
I also like carry my rain jacket in a plastic bag. Also because it's easier that way. Why not carry them in paper bags? Because paper bags are useless in wet conditions.
Those who complain about plastic bags need to understand that banning things usually isn't the best way to go. If you don't like plastic bags, then don't use them. Otherwise, leave everyone else alone and mind your own business!
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
----
2) Al Gore keeps saying that the debate over global warming is over.
There been reports of glaciers melting in Alaska, droughts in the state of Georgia, and that the plants in the Western US is getting so dry, it makes wildfires worse.
However, the debate is NOT OVER!
Just recently, there is snow in places that usually don't get snow.
There has been snow in El Paso, Texas. That's right on the Mexican border
http://mhutch.blogspot.com/2007/11/texas-snow-makes-el-paso-kids-smile.html
There have been snow in southern Mississippi. That state is so deep in the South, it hardly get snow.
http://writenow.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/its-snowing-in-mississippi/
There have even been reports of snow occuring in Baghdad. Yes, the one in Iraq!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_first_snow_in_memory
----
In Hawaii, it has only snowed in Mauna Kea in the Big Island.
However, we've been getting cold winds, with mornings being 60 degrees. That's not normal in Hawaii! That's way below average in Hawaii winters!
3) Yet, we have Al Gore and Bill Maher lecturing us that the debate on global warming is over.
No i'ts not!
So maybe I might be experiencing a heat wave this summer and I might die of heat exhaustion.
But that doesn't erase the fact that this past winter, it was snowing in areas that usually doesn't snow!
The whole point of what I'm trying to say, is that sometimes places can get hotter than usual (and make us feel that the Earth will be eternally hot as hell from now on!), it can still get colder than usual!
Climate does change, and sometimes it goes in cycles!
The debate is not over!
Some on the Honolulu's City Council want to go along with that idea.
Here is my letter to the Honolulu Star Bulletin on it
http://starbulletin.com/2008/01/17/editorial/letters.html
Plastic bags reusable, keep things dry
Those who attempt to ban plastic bags say that most plastic bags are never used again. But I, as well as some other people, reuse those bags. I usually carry my water bottle in a plastic bag because it's easier to carry it that way. Also, if I enter a store that bans beverages, my water bottle is covered. It's also good when I enter a store that sells beverages to have my own water bottle in a plastic bag, so the store employee knows I had it before entering the store.
I also like carry my rain jacket in a plastic bag. Also because it's easier that way. Why not carry them in paper bags? Because paper bags are useless in wet conditions.
Those who complain about plastic bags need to understand that banning things usually isn't the best way to go. If you don't like plastic bags, then don't use them. Otherwise, leave everyone else alone and mind your own business!
Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu
----
2) Al Gore keeps saying that the debate over global warming is over.
There been reports of glaciers melting in Alaska, droughts in the state of Georgia, and that the plants in the Western US is getting so dry, it makes wildfires worse.
However, the debate is NOT OVER!
Just recently, there is snow in places that usually don't get snow.
There has been snow in El Paso, Texas. That's right on the Mexican border
http://mhutch.blogspot.com/2007/11/texas-snow-makes-el-paso-kids-smile.html
There have been snow in southern Mississippi. That state is so deep in the South, it hardly get snow.
http://writenow.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/its-snowing-in-mississippi/
There have even been reports of snow occuring in Baghdad. Yes, the one in Iraq!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_first_snow_in_memory
----
In Hawaii, it has only snowed in Mauna Kea in the Big Island.
However, we've been getting cold winds, with mornings being 60 degrees. That's not normal in Hawaii! That's way below average in Hawaii winters!
3) Yet, we have Al Gore and Bill Maher lecturing us that the debate on global warming is over.
No i'ts not!
So maybe I might be experiencing a heat wave this summer and I might die of heat exhaustion.
But that doesn't erase the fact that this past winter, it was snowing in areas that usually doesn't snow!
The whole point of what I'm trying to say, is that sometimes places can get hotter than usual (and make us feel that the Earth will be eternally hot as hell from now on!), it can still get colder than usual!
Climate does change, and sometimes it goes in cycles!
The debate is not over!
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