Mary Alice Ka’iulani Milham 12-7-14… "On Flags, Patriotism and History"

I found this blog post via Lanny Sinkin’s FB page. It relates to the post, “Big Island Video News 12-4-14… “American Flags Taken Down By Hawaiian Kingdom Advocates”“.
Apparently, there was quite a “comment uproar” on that BIVN page, as well as a Hawaii News Now FB page. Check them out to see what kinds of comments were posted.
According to her About page, “Mary Alice Ka’iulani Milham is an independent Native Hawaiian journalist and screenwriter of Portland, Oregon, who dreams of someday living in her ancestral homeland of the Hawaiian Islands.”
She make several points about the various comments, and commenters, but to me, more importantly, about the “awakening” of the world to the actuality of the overthrow, and the continued existence, of The Kingdom of Hawaii.

“… in Hawaiʻi nei, a growing number of residents are becoming maʻa (hip) to the fact that, despite over 121 years of indoctrination and revisionist American history, the islands they call home are indeed still a sovereign nation.
“Could it be the settlers are feeling unsettled?
“Immediately following of the flag lowering, the firestorm on the Hawaiʻi News Now’s Facebook page was blazing out of control with nearly 800 posts within 48 hours, mostly in the form of righteous indignation from non-kanaka [non-Hawaiian] commentators.
“Many of the comments were tinged with racial epithets and invective… More than a few anachronistic posts suggested that without the US, Hawaiians would still be wearing loincloths and coconut bras… Other indignant posts railed about ungrateful Hawaiians at UH receiving federal student loans from the US…
“A whole lot of comments targeted Hawaiʻi’s inability to “make it” as a nation without the US… some semi-literate commentors didnʻt get the irony of telling Hawaiians to go home if they didnʻt like being part of the US.…
[quote from Princess Ka’iulani, 1893] “…Even now I can hear their [my people’s] wail in my heart and it gives me strength and courage and I am strong – strong in the faith of God, strong in the knowledge that I am right, strong in the strength of seventy million people who in this free land [USA] will hear my cry and will refuse to let their flag cover dishonor to mine!”“

I say, “Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much), Mary Alice Ka’iulani Milham“, for your article.

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On Flags, Patriotism and History
The lowering of American flags at two Hawaiʻi Island college campuses this week sparked a firestorm of online fury from mostly non-kanaka Hawaiʻi residents who feel the act was unpatriotic and a grave dishonor to American veterans.
The non-violent protest – at University of Hawaiʻi, Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College, Hilo -was led by Hawaiian Kingdom activists and students seeking to have the Hawaiian flag flown on par, rather than below, the US flag at Hawaiʻiʻs institutions of higher learning.

While such reaction to lowering the American flag is to be expected in the United States, in Hawaiʻi nei, a growing number of residents are becoming maʻa (hip) to the fact that, despite over 121 years of indoctrination and revisionist American history, the islands they call home are indeed still a sovereign nation.
This growing recognition of Hawaiʻiʻs enduring sovereignty got an important political boost in November when the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubsʻ  adopted Resolution 14-28, titled, “Acknowledging the Continuation of the Hawaiian Kingdom as an Independent and Sovereign State.”
The AHCC is Hawaiʻi’s oldest grassroots organization with roots tracing back to 1918 when the first Hawaiian Civic Club was founded by Hawaiian Kingdom Heir Apparent Prince Kuhio Kalanianaʻole. Today, it comprises nearly 60 Hawaiian Civic Clubs spread throughout the islands and the US.
The AHCC’s acknowledgment was immediately followed by a letter of support and congratulations from  The Royal Order of Kamehameha I, whose own proclamation of the continued existence of the Hawaiian Kingdom came in 1995.
Just one day after the AHHC vote, Hawaiʻi’s legal status under international law was explicated in detail by a panel of international law scholars, at an OHA-sponsored Kamau a Ea discussion, who offered various remedies; including voting to restore the Hawaiian Kingdom at an upcoming constitutional convention.
Could it be the settlers are feeling unsettled?
Immediately following of the flag lowering, the firestorm on the Hawaiʻi News Now’s Facebook page was blazing out of control with nearly 800 posts within 48 hours, mostly in the form of righteous indignation from non-kanaka commentators.

“By removing the US flag, you are disrespecting tons of vets and people who have died protecting our country. If you don’t respect being an American then shut down the whole school and education system. They want it back to the old ways but yet they are using everything that America has offered them.”

Many of the comments were tinged with racial epithets and invective – perhaps kindled by the brushfire of racial tensions blazing across the the US following a grand juryʻs failure to indict a white police officer in the killing of an unarmed black youth:

“This Donkey and those like him can do what ever he wants…WHEN HE builds and runs his own College.”

More than a few anachronistic posts suggested that without the US, Hawaiians would still be wearing loincloths and coconut bras, that the current infrastructure – roads, the internet etc. – are proprietary, for patriotic Americans only, or that these would somehow vaporize if the US were to leave:

“Take all the military and everything U.S owned that is protecting Hawaii back to the mainland and have the Japanese, Isis, Spain, or maybe some other country to attack Hawaii once it’s vulnerable with no defense.”
“Then what are the people there gonna do? Use stones and spears?”
“If Hawaii was still the way it was … technology would have not reached the islands as advanced as it is now.”
“Oh don’t forget to also take transportation, internet, cell phones, and medical care out of Hawaii too. Maybe if they get the black plague, the people will perish faster without the U.S help.”
“You cant drive on our roads, use our sewer systems, use our communications technology, internet systems and most importantly the safety blanket of military which you now take avantage of. You would be as vulnerable as Ukrain which Russia has raped pillaged and plundered suddenly and over night.”

“You all had your chance and didn’t even make it through 100 years until you folded. Hell Hawaii can’t even manage a Football team for more than 1 win a year. Didn’t even go down with a fight, just signed the country over over a threat of hostel take over.”
“occupied by Japan better situation?
“You would be as vulnerable as Ukrain which Russia has raped pillaged and plundered suddenly and over night. US, Hawaiians would have to give up their welfare checks and EBT (food stamps)”

Other indignant posts railed about ungrateful Hawaiians at UH receiving federal student loans from the US:

“Does anyone know how much federal funding has provided jobs at UH campuses in order to improve the quality of education that our children are receiving?”
“DISGRACEFUL! !!!!! … you should be ashamed as a whole for collecting federal funds.”
“So I guess they don’t get any Pell grants or other government aide like EBT??? They’re more than happy to reap the rewards of America….”

And then there were the two-pronged smears referencing the attack on Pearl Harbor targeting Japanese and Hawaiians in one fell jab:

“…if it was not for America hawaii would be run by some other country probably Japan.”
“Would you rather be under the French, Germans or Japan colonies. Only in American can we protest and not be lock up forever or dragged out of ours homes and never to be seen again.”

Others insisted some other bogeyman oppressive regime, like Great Britain, would have Hawaiʻi in its clutches:

“They would never be able to do this under British, Russian, Chinese or any other country for that matter because they would have a tank parked in front of their house.”
“Funny what is in the upper left of the Hawaiian flag. That’s right the British Union Jack. And that is what could have been in place of the USA…. Let’s think about that.”
“If the US was not here Hawaii would be taken over by China.”

A whole lot of comments targeted Hawaiʻi’s inability to “make it” as a nation without the US. I couldn’t help but think of the wife beaters who tell women they won’t make it on their own:

 “I would love to see how this hawaiian kingdom would fare. I mean really. It’s a great thing to think about but the reality is that we don’t have the populous nor the finances necessary to be separate from the United States of AMERICA.”
“You are not a kingdom anymore. The United States is your country you idiot!”
“The military keeps your islands running sorry to tell you especially on Oahu so give it up already!”

It was kind of funny though that some semi-literate commentors didnʻt get the irony of telling Hawaiians to go home if they didnʻt like being part of the US.

“Feel free to renounce your citizenship anytime what your still here thought not!”
“What an idiot!! Makes me so angry that these people can enjoy all the benefits that living in the USA has to offer and turn around and be so disrespectful. I think we should send all the protesters and USA haters to another country if they are so unhappy with where they’re at.”

And then there were the Hawaiian patriots on defense, playing the role of teacher to the ignorant masses whose lack of knowledge about Hawaiian history ironically traces to the ongoing American made suppression of Hawaiian history in Hawaiian public schools.
And while I was truly impressed by the patience of several kanaka maoli who gently broke it down for these folks, their arrogant ignorance was seriously challenging my aloha spirit and admittedly I and plenty of other Hawaiian Patriots let ʻem have it.
After two days and an all-nighter rreading and responding to their posts, I was spiritually exhausted. My aloha was running on empty.
And then I remembered something my namesake, Princess Kaʻiulani, said about dishonoring flags after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom governmen in 1893 when at the age of 18 she went to New York City to make a speech to the American press in defense of Hawaiian independence.
Here’s what she said:

“Seventy years ago Christian America sent over Christian men and women to give religion and civilization to Hawai’i. Today, three of the sons of those missionaries are at your capitol asking you to undo their father’s work. Who sent them? Who gave them the authority to break the Constitution which they swore they would uphold? Today, I, a poor weak girl with not one of my people with me and all these ‘Hawaiian’ statesmen against me, have strength to stand up for the rights of my people. Even now I can hear their wail in my heart and it gives me strength and courage and I am strong – strong in the faith of God, strong in the knowledge that I am right, strong in the strength of seventy million people who in this free land will hear my cry and will refuse to let their flag cover dishonor to mine!”