• Norma Doctor Sparks deserves votes • Please heed my tutu’s advice Norma Doctor Sparks deserves votes Sandra Combs in her recent letter to the Forum, “Joe Citizen can be part of the solution,” says so many things that are extremely truthful.
• Norma Doctor Sparks deserves votes • Please heed my tutu’s advice
Norma Doctor Sparks deserves votes
Sandra Combs in her recent letter to the Forum, “Joe Citizen can be part of the solution,” says so many things that are extremely truthful.
Her evaluation of the cause of so many problems resulting from poor planning and doing studies rather than finding solutions was right on target.
Her theory that new faces running for office, as opposed to incumbent professional politicians being elected, is a good idea and has a lot of validity.
When I look at the “Joe Citizens” running for County Council, my choice will be a lady with qualifications that are unequaled to anyone I have ever seen running for office on Kauai — Norma Doctor Sparks.
Ms. Doctor Sparks being a local girl, I know of many of her accomplishments, awards and community services and know that her election to the council would be a tremendous asset for all of us. Particularly her expertise with budgets should alleviate the escalation of our taxes which all of us would welcome.
Joe Rosa, Lihue
Please heed my tutu’s advice
When my tutu passed away she called me to her bed and said: “Levi, my dear grandchild, you are a big boy now and you are ready to go out in the world. Regardless where you end up, never forget your Hawaiian values. If you go to live in a foreign culture, learn their language and customs, but don’t give up your own and you will be accepted, but if you don’t you will always be regarded as an intruder.”
Well, I live at home and I retained my Hawaiian values, but tutu’s words still echo in my ears. Her words should apply to others, too. I know that my tutu was not an adviser to the U.S. government, but her advice somehow coincides with that of the U.S. government issued to new immigrants who want to live in America: They should learn the language and the customs there. Simply — adjust! But the adjustment problem is most acute here in Hawaii.
We have many people who come and settle in our Hawaiian culture, but do they learn our values, do they learn our language, do they learn our customs? Hardly any. Almost everything is backwards. They have been coming, but instead of learning our customs, they force us to learn theirs. They have replaced our successful schooling with their failing education system; they teach our children their history instead of ours; they brought us their unjust justice system; and they get entangled in their own laws. What’s most disturbing is that they are even trying to reshape the island to make it look like the places they were escaping from.
When something needs to be done on Kauai, they pay hundreds of thousand of dollars to mainland consultants for their advice instead of asking our kupuna first, who know the island better and know what’s best for the people here. What would it take to make things work? Nothing else, but only heeding their own government’s advice to immigrants. If they are willing to do it, they may be accepted. If they are not willing, they should rather stay at home or move somewhere else and let us live our lives our ways in peace and harmony. We will manage on our own. It will not be easy, but as my tutu said quiet seas never produced skilled sailors. Thank you, tutu!
Levi Lancaster, Koloa
