Yesterday, it was official : the 50th state was a state for 50 years!
1) Back in 1959, the overwhelming majority of those who voted chose statehood for Hawaii.
However, some Hawaiian sovereignty activists said that that election was illegitimate because independence wasn't listed as an option on the ballot!
So now what?
The obvious is that we should have another election for the status: statehood, territory, independence, none of the above!
Whichever side looses will need to accept the results!
According to a recent poll, most Hawaii residents prefer statehood!
Read on it at
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090821/STATEHOOD01/908210362
Whatever happened in 1893, everyone from that era is dead! Only the living can vote!
Let's put it this way - Northern Ireland was conquered by the British! The Irish could claim that was their stolen land. But that conquest happened centuries ago. But if the people living in Northern Ireland want to remain a part of the United Kingdom, then that's what it will be! You can only go by those who live there today!
If the people of Leeward Oahu, Hana, Pahoa or Waimanalo want to start their own separate nation, that's fine! They just need to keep their economies sustainable, because the US taxpayers aren't going to bail them out all the time!
2) Independence will NOT guarantee things will get better or worse.
Let's look at North Korea and South Korea. Both were conquered by Japan!
However, after the Japanese left, the 2 Koreas went in totally opposite directions.
South Korea became one of the most prosperous democracies in the world. North Korea became one of the poorest and most oppressive dictatorships in the world!
One country became better off after the Japanese left, the other got worse!
Now let's look at Botswana and Zimbabwe. Both are African nations that are next to each other. Both were former British territories.
After the British left, Botswana and Zimbabwe went totally opposite directions.
Botswana is now one of the most economically stable, peaceful, democratic nations in Africa. It doesn't fit the negative stereotypes of Africa!
Zimbabwe is now one of the most poorest, violent and oppressive dictatorships in Africa. It fits the worst stereotypes of Africa!
One country became better off after the British left, the other got worse!
So will Hawaii become worse or better if it became independent? NOTHING IS GUARANTEED!
3) why were there no massive celebrations of statehood yesterday?
Only one government official admitted the obvious : riot prevention!
Here's what Don Cataluna, a trustee of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said!
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090821/STATEHOOD01/908210363&template=statehood/Iolani+Palace+to+remain+quiet+as+Hawaii+observes+50th
"And many, many Hawaiians — many Hawaiians — would be very, very upset," Cataluna said. "It would not be a good idea to have an event at the site of the overthrow of their queen. It would be a horrible mess there. I had visions of blood spilling and I didn't want that."
Based on everything I read in the papers today, all statehood events and protests were peaceful. Sure, there might've been shouting, but as long as no one got hit, then that's democracy in action!
4) What if the US didn't take over Hawaii?
Someone else would've!
Other nations looking to conquer were Germany, Russia and Japan!
Judging by the history of the 20th century, does anyone think Hawaii would've been better off being taken over by Germany, Russia or Japan?
US control of Hawaii wasn't perfect. In the early half of the 20th century, Native Hawaiian children were humiliated by their school-teachers if they spoke Hawaiian! This has contributed to the anger felt by many Native Hawaiians!
But the freedoms of the US Constitution allowed for the freedom of speech, assembly and religion. These things made the Hawaiian Renaissance movement much easier. These freedoms allowed the Native Hawaiians to revive lost traditions and their culture to grow again!
Now, we have charter schools and immersion schools that emphasize the Hawaiian language and Native Hawaiian culture!
Things are very different now from the early territorial days!
5) What's going to happen in the future?
Most likely, Hawaii will remain a state for a very long time. Though I think that areas like Leeward Oahu, Hana, Waimanalo, Pahoa and the islands of Niihau, Molokai and Kaho'olawe could eventually break off from the US and be a separate Hawaiian nation, just like how certain parts of the continental US are separate Native American nations!
Hawaii and the USA are connected in so many ways, it's unlikely that Hawaii would totally separate from the USA! Even many Native Hawaiians don't want to totally separate from the USA! The farthest it would go is nation-within-a-nation status!
6) The total-independence crowd will continue to be a minority. Their rhetoric has alienated too many people!
Let's put it this way. My Zapotec ancestors of Oaxaca, Mexico were conquered by the Spanish! But the descendants of the Spanish settlers are there to stay! So while Mexico is independent, the descendants of the conquerors, conquered and other settlers are accepted as part of the modern Mexican social fabric!
The same for Hawaii. Whether Hawaii is a state or independent, the sovereignty activists need to accept that the descendants of the conquerors, conquered and other settlers are part of the modern Hawaiian social fabric!
Those without Native Hawaiian ancestry need to respect Native Hawaiian culture! And the independence advocates need to accept that non-natives aren't going away and that integration is the way to go!
As Rodney King has said "can we all just get along"
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Coming soon
My thoughts on statehood! Today is the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming a state!
So many thoughts, so little time to blog it all out!
Hopefully, I'll be able to have something tommorrow night!
So many thoughts, so little time to blog it all out!
Hopefully, I'll be able to have something tommorrow night!
My 10-year high school reunion :)
This past weekend (August 15-16, 2009), the McKinley High School c/0 1999 had their high school reunion!
(10 years already? Damn I feel old!)
On Saturday night (August 15th), we had the main event at Bonsai Restaurant! It had 2 floors. Our reunion was in the 2nd floor, with a bar and a few tables.
There wasn't much space, which has its pros and cons. The pros is the small space gives us a greater chance to talk to more former classmates crowded among us. That's the point of reunions. The cons are that we could use more room to dance around.
The program itself was from 5pm - 9pm. But we could stick around and party when the general public was invited to Bonsai afterwards!
The next day (Sunday, August 16th) there was a picnic at Ala Moana Beach Park. There were less people, but some were the ones who couldn't make it to the previous night's event. It was mostly due to those people being unable to find a babysitter to watch their kids. But they could bring their kids to the Sunday picnic!
The picnic was very low-key and very relaxing! I brought Tostitos Lime Chips and Chips Ahoy cookies! Others brought pizza, chili, rice, sushi, juice and other items!
Now, on to some commentary
1) One of my classmates said he wasn't planning to come, but came because I sent SO MANY e-mail reminders to my friends about the reunion!
That guy (I won't mention names) said he had some bad memories of high school, and didn't want to see people he didn't like!
But after the reunion, he said it was better than he thought it would be! He even expressed that it was a wake-up call to enjoy life!
He made the correct decision to come. But there's other people who probably didn't go to their reunions because they didn't get along with some people!
THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!
If you go to a school like mine (with 1800 students) there's no way you'll get along with everyone! But there's also no way everyone would be your enemy!
I predicted that the wanabee thugs, druggies, and other sort of losers will NOT show up for the reunion!
I also predicted that those involved in ethnic gang fights between differing Asian and Pacific groups will not show up to the reunion!
I WAS PROVEN CORRECT!
What people need to understand is that those people didn't even show up for various school activities like Bonfires, luaus, Project Grad, etc.
Those people HATE school, HATE everything, don't like school activities and I knew they had no interest in going to the reunion!
What you also need to understand is that those people were NOT really popular! People just put up with them, because they're afraid to tell them to"SHUT UP!" But the main proof that those losers (wanabee thugs, druggies, etc. ) weren't really popular is that NOBODY INVITED THEM TO THE REUNION! Most people don't want them around!
So if you're worried about your tormentors showing up for your reunion, CHILL! Most likely, nobody reminded them to come! They most likely aren't going to show up anyways!
And even if you do see one of them, no one is going to force you to talk to them! Talk to the people you get along with!
Also, it's 1o YEARS LATER! People change!
I know I irritated some people during my schooling years. I also know from the reunion that most of them forgave me anyways! They knew I didn't have bad intentions, and that we were very immature, and that people mature and grow wiser!
2) Reunions are not only fun, they're inspiring!
At least I know I was inspired
---
For one thing, I witnessed 2 former enemies made peace. Actually, those 2 were friends in elementary and middle school, but had arguments at the start of high school! Those things escalated to the point where they didn't talk to each other for years!
I met them at Kawananakoa Middle School. I got along with them, but wasn't the best friend I should've been! Instead of mediating, I told both people what they said about each other! I totally regret that, and it was eating me up on the inside!
I invited both to the reunion, and we all apologized to each other! It was a special moment!
A lot of people didn't know about this, so I won't mention names!
---
One of my former classmates was in the US military and was fighting wars in the Middle East. Had a lot of near-death experiences, had injuries from IEDs, and probably had many traumatizing moments!
But at the reunion, he showed everyone that he still knows HOW TO PARTY!!!!! He was talking to a lot of people. He was dancing!
He knows from experience how to appreciate life!
That was inspiring!!!!
----
I was talking to Don, who once lived in the same neighborhood growing up. That neighborhood is officially named Puahala Homes, but EVERYONE calls it Lanakila Housing!!! It is a small housing project!
We were the only ones from that hood to show up to the reunion! (however, our high school also had other ghetto communities within the district )
We were trading stories about our childhoods in that communities, the people we grew up with, the blatant welfare fraud committed by our neighbors, etc.
We no longer lived there. Don was saying "you can't live there forever", and you can't live off the government forever". I told him when parents moved out in my early adolescence, I was unhappy that I being uprooted and I mentioned my good memories there! But I totally understood what he said about leaving the hood and accomplishing things!
Our families came from 3rd world nations (my dad's from Mexico, his family is from Laos). Our families struggled with cultural shock and being a minority in a new place. But we made it! I told him "We made it out of the ghetto" and we gave high-fives!
-------
I also was talking to some girls I knew from Lanakila Elementary School. We drifted apart and didn't hang out much after elementary! But there we were at the reunion! As I came up to talk to them, one of them was saying "look, we all from Lanakila Elementary School". It was like a reunion within a reunion! Trading stories about our past and our present! I never had a sister, but talking to those girls, it's like talking to my long-lost sisters!
I was talking to another female classmate from the same elementary school, and she still remembered my brother! The same one still remembered that I memorized the names of U S presidents back in elementary. Then she thought I would be getting my PhD by now [maybe later, but thanks for the thought!:)] We were joking around about some stuff as well! I didn't talk to that girl much in high school (never shared classes for some reason), but at that reunion, it was like time never passed. Another long-lost sister re-united!
------
As for my other elementary classmates, I still talk to Jeff on a regular basis. Nicholas (who attended Lanakila for one year) was also at the reunion. That guy started growing late, but now he's taller than me!
Nicholas and I had some common friends like Orlando Holbron and Justin Gonda.Over the years I lost contact with both! However, I heard that Gonda is in jail for raping a girl!
It's a very bad feeling that someone I hung out with in high school has done such a heinous crime! A very sad thing to mention to my former classmates!
---------
I'm sure I must've inspired others as well at the reunion!
Some people couldn't recognize me at 1st because I lost weight.
In my 12th grade year, I was about 220 pounds.
The last time I checked earlier this summer, I'm about 165 pounds!
A lot of people congratulated me on loosing weight.
They asked how I did it! I just told them I did the basics -- eat less meals, walk around more, ride bikes, etc.
--
Some were surprised I became a substitute teacher! I talked to some about the life of a sub!
I also joked to one of my former Lanakila classmates, after becoming a substitute "now I understand why some people were mad at me" in our school days! She just laughed and told me I was a funny guy!
---
I was also inspired by the careers of my classmates.
They include a salon owner, a Christian self-help book author, real estate agent, a forensic science, elementary school teacher, preschool teachers aide, construction worker, a police officer, soldier, engineer, accountant, nurse, cell-phone salesperson, restaurant staff, investment banker, medical student, day care operator, computer technician, building inspector, ........
there's more, but you get the point!
3) The excitement of the reunion!
It was great fun meeting so many people from our younger days! It's just like Project Grad just happened yesterday!
But it was also exciting to find out what they are accomplishing, and what they will become in the future.
We traded jokes and made loud noise :)
We took photos (though I still use the old-school cameras, whereas others got digital cameras)
Some of us had beads, while I wore the yellow paper-leis given out by the reunion organizers :)
I also remember our MC, Herman Lee asked who wanted to sing our school song "Black & Gold". I DID! I also won a prize for it! Though next time, I'll also sing "Hail McKinley Hail" as well!
After the official program was over, and people sticked around, we were dancing! I was one of them :)
Too bad that place didn't have a bigger dance floor!
4) Conclusion
I encourage all our positive-minded people to go to your reunions! You'll be glad you did!
As I mentioned in facebook "if I'm still alive when the next reunion comes up, I'M THERE!"
Off course, a former classmate responded by saying "dude, the next reunion is 10 years from now, you'll only be 38"
TRUE! But as I mentioned in earlier blogs, you'll never know when your time is up!
That's why you gotta enjoy the big events in life! Be the life of the party!
(10 years already? Damn I feel old!)
On Saturday night (August 15th), we had the main event at Bonsai Restaurant! It had 2 floors. Our reunion was in the 2nd floor, with a bar and a few tables.
There wasn't much space, which has its pros and cons. The pros is the small space gives us a greater chance to talk to more former classmates crowded among us. That's the point of reunions. The cons are that we could use more room to dance around.
The program itself was from 5pm - 9pm. But we could stick around and party when the general public was invited to Bonsai afterwards!
The next day (Sunday, August 16th) there was a picnic at Ala Moana Beach Park. There were less people, but some were the ones who couldn't make it to the previous night's event. It was mostly due to those people being unable to find a babysitter to watch their kids. But they could bring their kids to the Sunday picnic!
The picnic was very low-key and very relaxing! I brought Tostitos Lime Chips and Chips Ahoy cookies! Others brought pizza, chili, rice, sushi, juice and other items!
Now, on to some commentary
1) One of my classmates said he wasn't planning to come, but came because I sent SO MANY e-mail reminders to my friends about the reunion!
That guy (I won't mention names) said he had some bad memories of high school, and didn't want to see people he didn't like!
But after the reunion, he said it was better than he thought it would be! He even expressed that it was a wake-up call to enjoy life!
He made the correct decision to come. But there's other people who probably didn't go to their reunions because they didn't get along with some people!
THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!
If you go to a school like mine (with 1800 students) there's no way you'll get along with everyone! But there's also no way everyone would be your enemy!
I predicted that the wanabee thugs, druggies, and other sort of losers will NOT show up for the reunion!
I also predicted that those involved in ethnic gang fights between differing Asian and Pacific groups will not show up to the reunion!
I WAS PROVEN CORRECT!
What people need to understand is that those people didn't even show up for various school activities like Bonfires, luaus, Project Grad, etc.
Those people HATE school, HATE everything, don't like school activities and I knew they had no interest in going to the reunion!
What you also need to understand is that those people were NOT really popular! People just put up with them, because they're afraid to tell them to"SHUT UP!" But the main proof that those losers (wanabee thugs, druggies, etc. ) weren't really popular is that NOBODY INVITED THEM TO THE REUNION! Most people don't want them around!
So if you're worried about your tormentors showing up for your reunion, CHILL! Most likely, nobody reminded them to come! They most likely aren't going to show up anyways!
And even if you do see one of them, no one is going to force you to talk to them! Talk to the people you get along with!
Also, it's 1o YEARS LATER! People change!
I know I irritated some people during my schooling years. I also know from the reunion that most of them forgave me anyways! They knew I didn't have bad intentions, and that we were very immature, and that people mature and grow wiser!
2) Reunions are not only fun, they're inspiring!
At least I know I was inspired
---
For one thing, I witnessed 2 former enemies made peace. Actually, those 2 were friends in elementary and middle school, but had arguments at the start of high school! Those things escalated to the point where they didn't talk to each other for years!
I met them at Kawananakoa Middle School. I got along with them, but wasn't the best friend I should've been! Instead of mediating, I told both people what they said about each other! I totally regret that, and it was eating me up on the inside!
I invited both to the reunion, and we all apologized to each other! It was a special moment!
A lot of people didn't know about this, so I won't mention names!
---
One of my former classmates was in the US military and was fighting wars in the Middle East. Had a lot of near-death experiences, had injuries from IEDs, and probably had many traumatizing moments!
But at the reunion, he showed everyone that he still knows HOW TO PARTY!!!!! He was talking to a lot of people. He was dancing!
He knows from experience how to appreciate life!
That was inspiring!!!!
----
I was talking to Don, who once lived in the same neighborhood growing up. That neighborhood is officially named Puahala Homes, but EVERYONE calls it Lanakila Housing!!! It is a small housing project!
We were the only ones from that hood to show up to the reunion! (however, our high school also had other ghetto communities within the district )
We were trading stories about our childhoods in that communities, the people we grew up with, the blatant welfare fraud committed by our neighbors, etc.
We no longer lived there. Don was saying "you can't live there forever", and you can't live off the government forever". I told him when parents moved out in my early adolescence, I was unhappy that I being uprooted and I mentioned my good memories there! But I totally understood what he said about leaving the hood and accomplishing things!
Our families came from 3rd world nations (my dad's from Mexico, his family is from Laos). Our families struggled with cultural shock and being a minority in a new place. But we made it! I told him "We made it out of the ghetto" and we gave high-fives!
-------
I also was talking to some girls I knew from Lanakila Elementary School. We drifted apart and didn't hang out much after elementary! But there we were at the reunion! As I came up to talk to them, one of them was saying "look, we all from Lanakila Elementary School". It was like a reunion within a reunion! Trading stories about our past and our present! I never had a sister, but talking to those girls, it's like talking to my long-lost sisters!
I was talking to another female classmate from the same elementary school, and she still remembered my brother! The same one still remembered that I memorized the names of U S presidents back in elementary. Then she thought I would be getting my PhD by now [maybe later, but thanks for the thought!:)] We were joking around about some stuff as well! I didn't talk to that girl much in high school (never shared classes for some reason), but at that reunion, it was like time never passed. Another long-lost sister re-united!
------
As for my other elementary classmates, I still talk to Jeff on a regular basis. Nicholas (who attended Lanakila for one year) was also at the reunion. That guy started growing late, but now he's taller than me!
Nicholas and I had some common friends like Orlando Holbron and Justin Gonda.Over the years I lost contact with both! However, I heard that Gonda is in jail for raping a girl!
It's a very bad feeling that someone I hung out with in high school has done such a heinous crime! A very sad thing to mention to my former classmates!
---------
I'm sure I must've inspired others as well at the reunion!
Some people couldn't recognize me at 1st because I lost weight.
In my 12th grade year, I was about 220 pounds.
The last time I checked earlier this summer, I'm about 165 pounds!
A lot of people congratulated me on loosing weight.
They asked how I did it! I just told them I did the basics -- eat less meals, walk around more, ride bikes, etc.
--
Some were surprised I became a substitute teacher! I talked to some about the life of a sub!
I also joked to one of my former Lanakila classmates, after becoming a substitute "now I understand why some people were mad at me" in our school days! She just laughed and told me I was a funny guy!
---
I was also inspired by the careers of my classmates.
They include a salon owner, a Christian self-help book author, real estate agent, a forensic science, elementary school teacher, preschool teachers aide, construction worker, a police officer, soldier, engineer, accountant, nurse, cell-phone salesperson, restaurant staff, investment banker, medical student, day care operator, computer technician, building inspector, ........
there's more, but you get the point!
3) The excitement of the reunion!
It was great fun meeting so many people from our younger days! It's just like Project Grad just happened yesterday!
But it was also exciting to find out what they are accomplishing, and what they will become in the future.
We traded jokes and made loud noise :)
We took photos (though I still use the old-school cameras, whereas others got digital cameras)
Some of us had beads, while I wore the yellow paper-leis given out by the reunion organizers :)
I also remember our MC, Herman Lee asked who wanted to sing our school song "Black & Gold". I DID! I also won a prize for it! Though next time, I'll also sing "Hail McKinley Hail" as well!
After the official program was over, and people sticked around, we were dancing! I was one of them :)
Too bad that place didn't have a bigger dance floor!
4) Conclusion
I encourage all our positive-minded people to go to your reunions! You'll be glad you did!
As I mentioned in facebook "if I'm still alive when the next reunion comes up, I'M THERE!"
Off course, a former classmate responded by saying "dude, the next reunion is 10 years from now, you'll only be 38"
TRUE! But as I mentioned in earlier blogs, you'll never know when your time is up!
That's why you gotta enjoy the big events in life! Be the life of the party!
Another former student passed away
Last month, I mentioned that one of my former students, Tatiana Beasley, whom I met when I subbed @ Roosevelt High School in 2006, died in a car accident!
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2009/07/in-memory-of-tatiana-beasley.html
Now, I've come to find out another of my former students from the same neighborhood has died so young.
In this case, it is Makamae Ah Mook Sang.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090819_Girls_death_sparks_search_for_man_24.html
Police and the family of a 15-year-old Papakolea girl who died after drinking at the home of a 24-year-old Hawaii Kai man are asking for help in finding him.
Makamae Ah Mook Sang had gotten her parents' permission to sleep over at her hula friend's house in Kahala after performing at Kamehameha Schools on July 29, said mother Tracy Ah Mook Sang.
Instead, she had gone to a party in Hawaii Kai, at the home of the 18-year-old girl's boyfriend's cousin.
"If we really had a clue or hint, we would not even let her go at all," said her mother.
The next morning the family received a call from the hospital where Makamae Ah Mook Sang died of alcohol poisoning.
---
I remember hearing of this story on the Channel 2 news on 7/31/09, and the 1st name sounded familiar, but that news story didn't mention her school or her neighborhood, so I wasn't sure if it's the one that I met when I was subbing at Stevenson Middle School back in 2006-2007.
But just reading this week's Star Bulletin article, which mentioned that at the time of her death, Makamae was a student @ Roosevelt High School (where most Stevenson alumni go to high school), and lived in Papakolea, I know that was the same one!
--
What I mostly remembered about Makamae was that she liked to talk a lot, even to the point where her classmates had to tell her to be quiet. I also remember needed to be corrected in pronouncing her 1st name! ( a common occurrence for substitute teachers having to memorize so many new names all in one day)
---
I've only been a substitute teacher for 4 years, and already 2 of my former students died of alcohol-related incidents.
So much potential in both of those young women, never to be realized. So much accomplishments they'll never have the chance to achieve! So many sad memories for the young people of Papakolea, knowing that their young neighbors died so soon!
It is also a cautionary tale in resisting peer pressure in dealing with alcohol! It ain't as easy as it sounds, but the necessary things are NEVER easy!
Even if it means walking out on your friends as they mock you, do whatever you can to avoid the pitfalls of alcoholism and drug abuse!
Otherwise, you'll never get the chance to look back and say "I resisted peer pressure and lived to talk about it"
http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2009/07/in-memory-of-tatiana-beasley.html
Now, I've come to find out another of my former students from the same neighborhood has died so young.
In this case, it is Makamae Ah Mook Sang.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090819_Girls_death_sparks_search_for_man_24.html
Police and the family of a 15-year-old Papakolea girl who died after drinking at the home of a 24-year-old Hawaii Kai man are asking for help in finding him.
Makamae Ah Mook Sang had gotten her parents' permission to sleep over at her hula friend's house in Kahala after performing at Kamehameha Schools on July 29, said mother Tracy Ah Mook Sang.
Instead, she had gone to a party in Hawaii Kai, at the home of the 18-year-old girl's boyfriend's cousin.
"If we really had a clue or hint, we would not even let her go at all," said her mother.
The next morning the family received a call from the hospital where Makamae Ah Mook Sang died of alcohol poisoning.
---
I remember hearing of this story on the Channel 2 news on 7/31/09, and the 1st name sounded familiar, but that news story didn't mention her school or her neighborhood, so I wasn't sure if it's the one that I met when I was subbing at Stevenson Middle School back in 2006-2007.
But just reading this week's Star Bulletin article, which mentioned that at the time of her death, Makamae was a student @ Roosevelt High School (where most Stevenson alumni go to high school), and lived in Papakolea, I know that was the same one!
--
What I mostly remembered about Makamae was that she liked to talk a lot, even to the point where her classmates had to tell her to be quiet. I also remember needed to be corrected in pronouncing her 1st name! ( a common occurrence for substitute teachers having to memorize so many new names all in one day)
---
I've only been a substitute teacher for 4 years, and already 2 of my former students died of alcohol-related incidents.
So much potential in both of those young women, never to be realized. So much accomplishments they'll never have the chance to achieve! So many sad memories for the young people of Papakolea, knowing that their young neighbors died so soon!
It is also a cautionary tale in resisting peer pressure in dealing with alcohol! It ain't as easy as it sounds, but the necessary things are NEVER easy!
Even if it means walking out on your friends as they mock you, do whatever you can to avoid the pitfalls of alcoholism and drug abuse!
Otherwise, you'll never get the chance to look back and say "I resisted peer pressure and lived to talk about it"
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Coming soon to this Blog
I will be writing about my recent reunion ! It was the 10-year reunion for the McKinley High School c/o 99!
It was a very positive event!
So many thoughts on it, so little time to write it all now!
Come back and check out what I wrote on it later!
It was a very positive event!
So many thoughts on it, so little time to write it all now!
Come back and check out what I wrote on it later!
Thursday, August 06, 2009
The Coach Mack controversy
Last week Thursday (7/30/09), University of Hawaii football coach Gregg McMackin (aka Coach Mack) got into a major controversy.
Coach Mack was in Salt Lake City for the WAC Football Media Preview, where the football coaches from schools within the Western Athletic Conferences talk to a group of reporters about the upcoming football season.
Coach Mack was asked about last year's Hawaii Bowl in which Hawaii lost to Notre Dame.
Coach Mack talked about the banquet a few days before the Hawaii Bowl. The Hawaii guys did the ha'a chant. Then Notre Dame guys did their own chant.
Coach Mack referred to the Notre Dame's chant as a "faggot dance".
Things went downhill from there!
Coach Mack tried to persuade the reporters there to not report what he just said!
But being that the press conference included reporters covering the rival schools, that just wasn't going to happen!
The next day, Coach Mack came back to Hawaii and met with UH officials! He was suspended for 30 days (though in this case, the suspension meant he could coach in those days, but just not get paid for it), and ordered to make public service announcements on tolerance!
He had a 7% pay cut, but that was because a few days before his controversial remark, he already publicly stated that he was willing to take a pay cut to help the UH athletic department get through the financial crisis.
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20090729_McMackins_OK_with_salary_cut.html (notice this was printed THE DAY BEFORE his controversial remark)
Coach Mack publicly and tearfully apologized for his controversial taunt.
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20090801_Mack_apologizes_accepts_punishment.html
Now for the commentary
---------
1) This situation was a surprise to most of us in Hawaii!
Coach Mack had an image of being a nice guy who would never hurt anyone! He had an easy-going personality, liked to greet people, and is known to care about his players!
Sure, he could get mad if his players are slacking off, but he was NOTHING like Bobby Knight!
Nobody really expected Coach Mack to even use the words "faggot dance".
2) Now, Coach Mack was just joking when referring to Notre Dame's chant as a "faggot dance". It wasn't Coach Mack's intention to insult or offend!
However, as Coach Mack himself would agree, that was totally unprofessional.
Here's what David Shapiro said on this issue!
http://volcanicash.honadvblogs.com/2009/08/05/a-bumpy-path-to-tolerance/
3) As Mr Shapiro mentioned, anytime someones negative things about a racial group or homosexuals, some losers will say stuff like "it's just words", "they're overly sensitive", "can't you take a joke", blah, blah, blah!
Would any of you call your boss a "faggot"? You'll probably join the unemployment lines if you done that!
Would any of you call your mom a "whore"? She'll probably slap you, or at least yell at you!
Words either mean something or mean nothing!
Those who say stuff like "it's just words", "you're overly sensitive", "can't take a joke", etc. are bullies who can't handle having their victims stand up for themselves! They're like the guy who punches his victim, then immediately runs away like a coward!
Then there are those losers who say "my parents taught me not to get upset when someone calls me names!" Those parents are either abusive (ie. use insults on their children, yet don't like it when they react to those insults) over overly permissive ( ie. allowing their children to say and do whatever without punishing them).
Those are the most dangerous parents of all!
Parents are supposed to tell their kids "Stand up for yourself, take no crap from others!" Or as my former boss, Mr. Vince of Palama Settlement used to tell me "handle it on your level 1st, then, if it still doesn't get resolved, talk to me". Mr Vince also taught me to be stern, but also stay calm at the same time!
I wish my parents taught me that earlier in life!
4) Then off course, another argument that pops up when a public figure makes insulting remarks about a racial group or homosexuals is "how dare you criticize that guy, you ain't perfect, you probably said stuff like that before!"
One of the lamest arguments ever!
I used to make homophobic comments when I was younger! (which I totally regret now) Does this mean, if my future children or my future students or my future employees make those same homophobic remarks, I should just let them get away with it?
Your parents probably scolded you for mistakes they used to make! Your teachers probably scolded you for the mistakes they used to make! Your bosses probably scolded you for the mistakes they used to make! They do it because they now know better and they want to know better faster than they did!
What's the point of being a parent/teacher/boss if you're going to let your subordinates get away with the same mistakes you used to make?
We all made mistakes! But mature people do 2 things
NUMBER ONE) stop making those same mistakes
NUMBER TWO) correct others who make the same mistakes you used to make!
--------
If you don't do Number ONE, but criticize those who make the mistakes you continue to make, then that's hypocrisy! So it's important to do STOP making those mistakes!
5) This brings up another issue that happened in 2000!
In the summer of 2000 (between my 1st & 2nd year @ UH), the UH Athletic Department changed the logo from the Rainbow to the tiki-styled H-symbol.
The name of the football teams went from Rainbows to Warriors.
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/07/27/sports/story1.html
The change of the name and the logo was June Jone's idea, but it had support of then-Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida!
While the name Warriors sound more tougher than Rainbows, that's not the only reason for the change.
The real reason was expressed by Yoshida, and gotten controversy!
http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/12/11/Sports/Whats.In.A.Nickname.At.UhManoa-2801080.shtml
(skipped paragraphs)
Personally, I never had a problem with either the UH Rainbow symbol or the tiki-style H-symbol!
However, the logo change happened unannounced and without public input, that it caught many Hawaii people off guard!
This led to the feud between local news anchor Joe Moore and former UH football coach June Jones!
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Oct/31/op/FP610310313.html (scroll down to the 7th letter, which is titled "JONES BEARS BLAME FOR DISCONNECT WITH FANS")
---------
So why were the UH sports teams called the "Rainbows" in the first place.
The name came in the 1920's, DECADES before the gay-liberation movement decided it was a good idea to adapt their own rainbow symbol!
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2002/07/17/sports/simpson.html
--
The rainbow was a good luck symbol for the UH teams, it had NOTHING to do with the gay-liberation movement!
In fact, even after the name change, having a rainbow appear over Aloha Stadium was a sign UH was going to win.
I remember in 2004 (4 years after the logo change) I saw a rainbow over Aloha Stadium when UH played Michigan State. UH won!
The following year (2005) , I saw no rainbow over Aloha Stadium when UH played Fresno State. UH lost.
Coincidence?
-------
Now back to "Rainbows being gay". The local guys on the team KNOW that Rainbows had NOTHING to do with the gay-liberation movement.
However, on the continental USA, people are indoctrinated to associate the rainbow with "gays".
So UH teams were taunted about being "rainbows" by their opponent's players and fans!
And it made it harder to UH to recruit players from the mainland. After all, why be a "rainbow" when you can go to Fresno State and be a bulldog, or go to Nevada to be a part of the wolfpack or go to Boise State and be a bronco!
But now that UH is now Warriors and does the ha'a chant, there's less stigma about being recruited by UH!
Meanwhile, other UH teams still have Rainbows in their names. The men's basketball team calls themselves Rainbow Warriors and the women's teams call themselves Rainbow Wahine!
6) Whatever the UH teams are called, I wish them all luck this coming school year, and hopefully, we all learned a lesson about respect for others!
Coach Mack was in Salt Lake City for the WAC Football Media Preview, where the football coaches from schools within the Western Athletic Conferences talk to a group of reporters about the upcoming football season.
Coach Mack was asked about last year's Hawaii Bowl in which Hawaii lost to Notre Dame.
Coach Mack talked about the banquet a few days before the Hawaii Bowl. The Hawaii guys did the ha'a chant. Then Notre Dame guys did their own chant.
Coach Mack referred to the Notre Dame's chant as a "faggot dance".
Things went downhill from there!
Coach Mack tried to persuade the reporters there to not report what he just said!
But being that the press conference included reporters covering the rival schools, that just wasn't going to happen!
The next day, Coach Mack came back to Hawaii and met with UH officials! He was suspended for 30 days (though in this case, the suspension meant he could coach in those days, but just not get paid for it), and ordered to make public service announcements on tolerance!
He had a 7% pay cut, but that was because a few days before his controversial remark, he already publicly stated that he was willing to take a pay cut to help the UH athletic department get through the financial crisis.
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20090729_McMackins_OK_with_salary_cut.html (notice this was printed THE DAY BEFORE his controversial remark)
Coach Mack publicly and tearfully apologized for his controversial taunt.
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20090801_Mack_apologizes_accepts_punishment.html
"I'm very pained and disappointed in myself and I hope to make up for some of the pain," McMackin said between ragged breaths and after wiping away tears. "I made a mistake. Now I have to show the leadership in dealing with both the football program and building respect for all people in our community."
Now for the commentary
---------
1) This situation was a surprise to most of us in Hawaii!
Coach Mack had an image of being a nice guy who would never hurt anyone! He had an easy-going personality, liked to greet people, and is known to care about his players!
Sure, he could get mad if his players are slacking off, but he was NOTHING like Bobby Knight!
Nobody really expected Coach Mack to even use the words "faggot dance".
2) Now, Coach Mack was just joking when referring to Notre Dame's chant as a "faggot dance". It wasn't Coach Mack's intention to insult or offend!
However, as Coach Mack himself would agree, that was totally unprofessional.
Here's what David Shapiro said on this issue!
http://volcanicash.honadvblogs.com/2009/08/05/a-bumpy-path-to-tolerance/
The furor over prejudiced gaffes such as those made by Greg McMackin and Rex Johnson inevitably cause hand-wringing in some quarters that we've become overly sensitive, too politically correct and unable to take a joke anymore.
I'm not going to get into an argument about things people say in their personal communications that reveal their intolerance, ignorance and poor manners.
But expressions of bigotry by state officials in their official capacity are never acceptable, and the punishment must be as harsh as necessary to get the point across.
3) As Mr Shapiro mentioned, anytime someones negative things about a racial group or homosexuals, some losers will say stuff like "it's just words", "they're overly sensitive", "can't you take a joke", blah, blah, blah!
Would any of you call your boss a "faggot"? You'll probably join the unemployment lines if you done that!
Would any of you call your mom a "whore"? She'll probably slap you, or at least yell at you!
Words either mean something or mean nothing!
Those who say stuff like "it's just words", "you're overly sensitive", "can't take a joke", etc. are bullies who can't handle having their victims stand up for themselves! They're like the guy who punches his victim, then immediately runs away like a coward!
Then there are those losers who say "my parents taught me not to get upset when someone calls me names!" Those parents are either abusive (ie. use insults on their children, yet don't like it when they react to those insults) over overly permissive ( ie. allowing their children to say and do whatever without punishing them).
Those are the most dangerous parents of all!
Parents are supposed to tell their kids "Stand up for yourself, take no crap from others!" Or as my former boss, Mr. Vince of Palama Settlement used to tell me "handle it on your level 1st, then, if it still doesn't get resolved, talk to me". Mr Vince also taught me to be stern, but also stay calm at the same time!
I wish my parents taught me that earlier in life!
4) Then off course, another argument that pops up when a public figure makes insulting remarks about a racial group or homosexuals is "how dare you criticize that guy, you ain't perfect, you probably said stuff like that before!"
One of the lamest arguments ever!
I used to make homophobic comments when I was younger! (which I totally regret now) Does this mean, if my future children or my future students or my future employees make those same homophobic remarks, I should just let them get away with it?
Your parents probably scolded you for mistakes they used to make! Your teachers probably scolded you for the mistakes they used to make! Your bosses probably scolded you for the mistakes they used to make! They do it because they now know better and they want to know better faster than they did!
What's the point of being a parent/teacher/boss if you're going to let your subordinates get away with the same mistakes you used to make?
We all made mistakes! But mature people do 2 things
NUMBER ONE) stop making those same mistakes
NUMBER TWO) correct others who make the same mistakes you used to make!
--------
If you don't do Number ONE, but criticize those who make the mistakes you continue to make, then that's hypocrisy! So it's important to do STOP making those mistakes!
5) This brings up another issue that happened in 2000!
In the summer of 2000 (between my 1st & 2nd year @ UH), the UH Athletic Department changed the logo from the Rainbow to the tiki-styled H-symbol.
The name of the football teams went from Rainbows to Warriors.
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/07/27/sports/story1.html
UH officially unveiled the not-so-secret secret design yesterday before about 500 invited guests at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The distinctive logo is the flagship of the athletic department's unified direction mandated by former university president Kenneth Mortimer. But, a Rainbow selection of familiar team nicknames remain.
While the football team is now officially the Warriors, the other sports' coaches are free to choose from Rainbow Warriors, Warriors, Rainbows, Rainbow Wahine and Wahine.
The change of the name and the logo was June Jone's idea, but it had support of then-Athletic Director Hugh Yoshida!
While the name Warriors sound more tougher than Rainbows, that's not the only reason for the change.
The real reason was expressed by Yoshida, and gotten controversy!
http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/12/11/Sports/Whats.In.A.Nickname.At.UhManoa-2801080.shtml
During the unveiling of the new "H" logo three years ago, then-athletic director Hugh Yoshida said: "That (rainbow) logo really put a stigma on our program at times, in regards to its part of the gay community, their flags and so forth. Some of the student athletes had some feelings in regards to that."
Associate women's volleyball coach Charlie Wade was quoted in an article published by OutSports.com as saying, "I can't be certain, but I think that the rainbow had something to do with a flight attendant giving me his phone number one time."
(skipped paragraphs)
Four years ago, when they were the "Rainbows," football players complained that they were sometimes taunted by opponents for having a "gay" nickname. The stereotypical male athlete is supposed to be someone who is rugged, tough and strong. I guess "Rainbows" just didn't do it for them.-------
Personally, I never had a problem with either the UH Rainbow symbol or the tiki-style H-symbol!
However, the logo change happened unannounced and without public input, that it caught many Hawaii people off guard!
This led to the feud between local news anchor Joe Moore and former UH football coach June Jones!
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Oct/31/op/FP610310313.html (scroll down to the 7th letter, which is titled "JONES BEARS BLAME FOR DISCONNECT WITH FANS")
---------
So why were the UH sports teams called the "Rainbows" in the first place.
The name came in the 1920's, DECADES before the gay-liberation movement decided it was a good idea to adapt their own rainbow symbol!
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2002/07/17/sports/simpson.html
It happened long ago, in 1923 to be exact. Hawaii's Fighting Deans staged an epic 7-0 upset of Oregon State, and a rainbow appeared over the field. It must have looked, it must have felt, much the way it did that December day last year when a brilliant arc, a perfect rainbow materialized in the Aloha Stadium sky after Hawaii had punted BYU.
And in those early days, every time there was a rainbow, the team won. Every time there was a rainbow in the valley, the team won.
--
The rainbow was a good luck symbol for the UH teams, it had NOTHING to do with the gay-liberation movement!
In fact, even after the name change, having a rainbow appear over Aloha Stadium was a sign UH was going to win.
I remember in 2004 (4 years after the logo change) I saw a rainbow over Aloha Stadium when UH played Michigan State. UH won!
The following year (2005) , I saw no rainbow over Aloha Stadium when UH played Fresno State. UH lost.
Coincidence?
-------
Now back to "Rainbows being gay". The local guys on the team KNOW that Rainbows had NOTHING to do with the gay-liberation movement.
However, on the continental USA, people are indoctrinated to associate the rainbow with "gays".
So UH teams were taunted about being "rainbows" by their opponent's players and fans!
And it made it harder to UH to recruit players from the mainland. After all, why be a "rainbow" when you can go to Fresno State and be a bulldog, or go to Nevada to be a part of the wolfpack or go to Boise State and be a bronco!
But now that UH is now Warriors and does the ha'a chant, there's less stigma about being recruited by UH!
Meanwhile, other UH teams still have Rainbows in their names. The men's basketball team calls themselves Rainbow Warriors and the women's teams call themselves Rainbow Wahine!
6) Whatever the UH teams are called, I wish them all luck this coming school year, and hopefully, we all learned a lesson about respect for others!
Monday, August 03, 2009
Coming soon
My commentary on the Coach Mack controversy!
I got a lot to say on this issue, but not enough time to blog it all out!
I got a lot to say on this issue, but not enough time to blog it all out!
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