Gathering Place
Rowena Akana
Where is the cooperation
on the Akaka-Stevens bill?Despite the efforts of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Governor Lingle, our congressional delegation and grassroots organizations, the Akaka-Stevens Bill (S.344) did not make it to the floor of Congress for a vote before the Fourth of July recess. We now are working to ensure it is voted on the floor before Congress recesses again for the holiday season.
In 2004, both Republicans and Democrats will be concentrating on who will occupy the White House for the following four years. As most lobbyists know, members of Congress become extra cautious during an important election year. Congressmen who may or may not have an opinion about the bill will not vote for one if they think it will upset their colleagues or prove to be controversial for them in their own elections.
It is a sad day when doing the right thing could be considered controversial. No matter how many historical facts are presented, no matter all the legal justification offered, getting Congress to do the right thing is easier said than done.
The political status of Hawaiians is a serious matter that should never be used as political leverage between Democrats and Republicans. Doing so makes our effort to achieve federal recognition much more difficult. At home, both political parties have strongly supported our efforts and have publicly agreed that this is a nonpartisan issue. However, comments in the newspapers accusing one party of not doing enough prove that this is not the case. Accusations such as these can only hurt our overall efforts.
If the Hawaiian community and the general public are to believe that both political parties are working together for the best interests of our community, they must prove it by ending their finger-pointing in the media. All of us are tired of this kind of behavior.
The quest for power and control over political offices by the parties is, in my view, the very thing that is destroying the trust between the people and their elected leaders. Where does the public fit into this picture? Are we just pawns to be used as to gain footholds into political power structures?
Passing the Akaka-Stevens bill is the first real step in correcting egregious acts done against us more than 110 years ago. The political blame game must stop. If this is truly a nonpartisan effort, what should it matter which political party takes the most credit? After all, isn't it the right thing to do? How can we convince others of the importance of the Akaka-Stevens bill if we cannot work together in good faith at home?
Ma lama pono!
Rowena Akana is an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee.
