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religious test in our country is illegal for anyone holding any position in our government,
<br />and that reference is the government can't give a religious test to someone as a criteria
<br />for that person to hold office or to be appointed to any position in our government. I
<br />think it's a semi permeable membrane. I think that it's a violation of Section 2- 83(a)(3),
<br />which states all persons must be treated in a courteous, fair, and impartial manner.
<br />There are many people in our County that do not accept Jesus Christ as their lord and
<br />savior as part of their religious or spiritual belief. We have Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,
<br />Christians. We also have atheists and agnostics and many other sects and beliefs of
<br />which I'm not familiar. So we have to respect with impartiality all persons. We have to
<br />be courteous to all persons. We cannot allow our County representatives to use their
<br />own religious construct during the legislative debates and discourse of the County of
<br />Hawai `i. This is not to fault Mrs. Naeole in her private business of her religion. We are
<br />saying Mrs. Naeole does not have the right to bring her religion to the table during the
<br />legislative business of the County of Hawai `i. Thank you.
<br />CHAIR: Thank you. Next we have Gregory Smith.
<br />SMITH: Yes, I'm going to comment on our petitions 06, 07. Again, my point is, is it
<br />apparently Mrs. Naeole does not understand how she has wounded some people's
<br />sensibilities by her constant references to her god, or the fact that she has said that Akua
<br />told her to do this, Akua told her to do that, right. This I'm sorry, I don't hold those
<br />beliefs. Now I am a firm believer in separation of church and state for the very simple
<br />reason that I am sure that if I express my views of Pentecostal or evangelical Christians,
<br />I would actually hurt Mrs. Naeole's feelings and her sensibilities, all right. And that's
<br />the problem. This behavior, if you notice if you go to a Council meeting, you'll notice
<br />that nobody in that room except Mrs. Naeole refers to her god, refers to Akua, refers to
<br />Jesus Christ. They keep silent, not because they keep silent because it's respect for all
<br />people's religions. We are in the business if we 're in the County Council testifying, or
<br />whatever business we are discussing in that body, we're not here I don't want to hear it.
<br />I'm sorry. I just don't want to hear it. I don't burden her or anybody else in that room
<br />with my religious or spiritual beliefs. I do not appreciate that. And then of course, tome,
<br />what was most grievous was her racial slur, which we have recorded in our petition. And
<br />this is not some isolated incident with Mrs. Naeole. Again, if you notice, other council
<br />people do not reference their ethnicity or their race in their general discussions, unless of
<br />course you say, oh, we have a Hawaiian issue or we have a Filipino issue, or something
<br />specific to what is on the agenda. The problem here is that, again, her reference to her
<br />skin color after Kelly Greemvell had given her a sharp you know, a sharp it was a
<br />sharp discussion on her qualifications to be vice chair, okay. And the problem is that she
<br />comes in, obviously angry and frustrated. Nobody likes to take criticism. But you know,
<br />that's part of being a County Council person, you know. And if you can't take criticism,
<br />in my opinion, get out of the kitchen. What she did in that one comment and I was
<br />involved in civil rights in the sixties. I've been put in jail for it, and to have somebody
<br />come up in this day and age, 2009, to make some stupid comment like that is to me
<br />that's not acceptable. I'm sorry. Anyway, that's it. Thank you.
<br />CHAIR: One more. James Weatherford, speaking on the two petitions.
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