Apparently, some of Kauai’s high schoolers and college students and staff just don’t get it. They don’t know that it’s politically correct to take a stand against our new president and protest the inauguration. They seem to believe in the
Apparently, some of Kauai’s high schoolers and college students and staff just don’t get it. They don’t know that it’s politically correct to take a stand against our new president and protest the inauguration. They seem to believe in the democratic process that got Don Trump elected. Oh, yeah, the Russians fixed it, anyway.
They’re not out yelling, swearing and confronting police over the inauguration of President Donald Trump. They’re not organizing rallies like they are over at the University of Hawaii because their candidate lost. They’re not coming up with ways to insult our new president and his family. They’re not whining to anyone who will listen.
What they are doing is displaying basic respect, courtesy and grace. And perhaps, we could all learn a little something from them.
Here’s what Kapaa High School students and a former teacher had to say before heading to Washington, D.C., for Friday’s inauguration.
w “I’m excited to witness a process of American history.” — Max Nagle
w “This was a controversial election, and I wanted to be a part of inauguration, no matter who was elected.” — Sierra Perry.
w “I thought it’d be a wonderful opportunity for my students to see a peaceful transition of power. Obama and Trump are radically different. Of course, there’s going to be some protests, but at the end of the day, we’re going to have a new president.” — Sandi Combs
And when TGI reporter David McCracken visited KCC to talk to students about their reactions and any possible protests to coincide with those at UH, here’s what students had to say:
w “I already voted and know where I stand. I’m about positive movement going forward. The people have already spoken. Why don’t we just try to do as much as we can the best that we can and try to move forward together?” — Edison Erorita
w “A lot of people here are hesitant to protest something when Trump isn’t even in office, making decisions. I think people could be waiting to see how he does when he’s actually in power.” — Shaina Nacion
w “I’ve been neutral to the whole thing. I try to stay out of politics.” — Victoria Aiu.
What’s this? These folks interviewed by TGI used words like “wonderful opportunity,” “positive movement,” “waiting to see how he does,” and being “neutral.” They spoke of being excited. Ah, most of them are young. They don’t know any better. They don’t have years of wisdom like their elders.
Maybe that’s a good thing.
Sometimes, we get so jaded in our viewpoints, so stuck on the same course, we can’t and won’t change. We can’t and won’t consider anything other than what we believe is right — even when that belief is just based on our own opinion that supports our own lifestyle. Most of us think far too highly of our own opinion.
Here’s where we’re at. We can continue to argue, insult, belittle and point fingers. Or we can get involved, become part of making our community better. Rise up and lead. We can stop saying that those who don’t agree with us just are not as smart as us. Maybe those we don’t agree with know something we don’t.
We should listen to some of the young people on Kauai, who seem, somehow, to see that casting blame and continually tossing out insults will do nothing more than create more division. Those high schoolers and college students showed maturity that would do most of us a world of good.
Why don’t we, as Edison Erorita said, do the best we can and help others do their best? Is it really that hard?
