COM 0212.401 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MAY'-20-97 TUE 09:06 FaM COPY POST PLUS I 808 322 1844 P. 02 May 16, 1997 1<ukui Hughes PO BOX 634 Honaunau, HI 96726 To The Members Of The County Council, This letter is in regards to the recent threats and acts of terrorism reported by Mr. Yamashiro and some board members. I am aware that these acts and threats should never' be accepted as a means to being heard. However, some deeper questions need to be asked of each board member and any persons who are involved with the hearings and the guide lines on the proceedings. Why are the people who oppose the irradiation plant being so emotional, volatile and out spoken? It takes repeated situations of not being listened to that drives individuals and sometimes groups of people into acting out. The question is, what caused these people to respond the way they did? The board needs to gain an awareness of~the psychological effects it has created through it's misrepresentations. Some of these misrepresentations are equality of time to be heard, rights to free speech, the number of member votes opposing the plant not correlating to the number of publie'opposing, and the largest maneuver of allowing supporting parties to sign up the day before and dominate the floor for hours without limits. No group of people gathering to be heard could have with stood that kind of blatant, covert and manipulative proceedings. What does the board need to realize? That by it's own actions, has created this volatile situation. Terrorism does not occur without a reason. That reason is a deep marginalization of a people. As a board you have judged and sentence the opposition by discrediting each person that speaks and the group as a whole. Some of the ways you discredit people are as follows: their lack of ability to delay gratification (waiting to be heard), clothing appearances, lack oY public speaking skills, gender, social order, culture, language differences, education, lack of speaking in a linear, factual manner, profession and/or life choices and for not being able to control their emotions. Being able to control emotions, to have experience with getting a turn to speak, having an education, being socially polished, being born a white male, or born into an affluent family, having a job or car, even liking politics or debating is a privilege that a majority of people don't have or only have at different times in [heir life. These people are your community. They are what you've chosen to represent. And they have chosen you to represent them. Sit among your community. Hear their concerns and hear their pains. That is what is needed here. Its not just another day on the job for the people who oppose the plant and it shouldn't be for you.