The “Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act” has died, for this session, in the Senate. Good.
This bill, designed to give political status and powers to “native Hawaiians” distinct from non-natives (i.e. everybody else), is one of the most pernicious piece of legislation considered in my lifetime by Congress; up there with the Immigration Act of 1965. The bill would create yet another protected class of special citizens, and explicitly put discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in the statute book.
Probably the bill is unconstitutional anyway, but the Senate has managed to avoid, yet again, the need for us to find out. Amazingly, a majority of Senators actually supports this rubbish: The vote was on procedural grounds, not the merits, the bill needed 60 votes to stay alive, and got 56 votes. All 41 “noes” were cast by Republicans, 13 Republicans and Planet Jeffords joined 42 Democrats in voting for racism.
Senator Daniel Akaka, (D. Hawaii), and others who support this bill, including, disgracefully, Hawaii’s Republican governor, Linda Lingle, contend that this bill is needed to redress wrongs stemming from the US absorption of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1883. Congress has already “apologized” for the overthrow of the kingdom in 1883.
Hmmm. Using the same logic, Senator Akaka, how bout a “Native Southerner Government Reorganization Act” that allows us descendents of “native Southerners” to have similar powers of self-governance and control of national resources as you propose for folks in Hawaii. Maybe you can work on an “apology” by Congress for overthrowing the Confederate States in 1865.
By the way, I’m sure the Cherokee and other Indians are waiting for their apology for the trail of tears and the Indian wars. They’ve already got the reservations, so I suppose “self-government” is taken care of. The Mexicans should get an “apology” for the Mexican War of 1846-1848. For that matter, maybe we can get the Mexicans to apologize to the Aztecs; the French to apologize to the Gauls (if you can find them); Vietnam to apologize to South Vietnam; and the Italians to apologize to each other for the disappearance of Rome.
This bill, designed to give political status and powers to “native Hawaiians” distinct from non-natives (i.e. everybody else), is one of the most pernicious piece of legislation considered in my lifetime by Congress; up there with the Immigration Act of 1965. The bill would create yet another protected class of special citizens, and explicitly put discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in the statute book.
Probably the bill is unconstitutional anyway, but the Senate has managed to avoid, yet again, the need for us to find out. Amazingly, a majority of Senators actually supports this rubbish: The vote was on procedural grounds, not the merits, the bill needed 60 votes to stay alive, and got 56 votes. All 41 “noes” were cast by Republicans, 13 Republicans and Planet Jeffords joined 42 Democrats in voting for racism.
Senator Daniel Akaka, (D. Hawaii), and others who support this bill, including, disgracefully, Hawaii’s Republican governor, Linda Lingle, contend that this bill is needed to redress wrongs stemming from the US absorption of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1883. Congress has already “apologized” for the overthrow of the kingdom in 1883.
Hmmm. Using the same logic, Senator Akaka, how bout a “Native Southerner Government Reorganization Act” that allows us descendents of “native Southerners” to have similar powers of self-governance and control of national resources as you propose for folks in Hawaii. Maybe you can work on an “apology” by Congress for overthrowing the Confederate States in 1865.
By the way, I’m sure the Cherokee and other Indians are waiting for their apology for the trail of tears and the Indian wars. They’ve already got the reservations, so I suppose “self-government” is taken care of. The Mexicans should get an “apology” for the Mexican War of 1846-1848. For that matter, maybe we can get the Mexicans to apologize to the Aztecs; the French to apologize to the Gauls (if you can find them); Vietnam to apologize to South Vietnam; and the Italians to apologize to each other for the disappearance of Rome.
2 comments:
el jefe said:
should get an “apology” for the Mexican War of 1846-1848.
ah, the days of presidnet james polk, who once said:
how'd it go.........
oh yeah.....
if we see it and want it
we'll buy it
if you won't sell it to us
we'll steal it
if you try to stop us
we'll kill you
well, he actually didn't SAY that, but if you look at that period in history it pretty much sums up this american patriot.
james polk where are you when we need you.
couldn't get a job as a dog catcher today i'll bet.
ps: no dog catchers were harmed or insulted as a result of this post/comment.
James K. Polk and Theodore Roosevelt are my favorite US presidents. Nobody did more for the future wealth and power of the United States than President Polk, no matter how much it pains the politically correct to acknowledge it.
The same people who complain about how imperialistic and unfair the US is have no problems whatever driving SUV's, drinking German beer and French wine, wearing clothes made for pennies in China, shoes from Italy, and using Korean computers. I enjoy sirloin, and have no desire to see how it's made, but I would never think of complaining about the meat processing industry and still eating beef.
No matter how much we try to pretty things up, the world still operates on Don Corleone rules. Many of our neighbors don't want to admit that.
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