Akaka defends Obama's Hawaii vacation from ABC commentator
A group called Asian Americans for Obama sent out a media alert yesterday with the headline, "BREAKING: Hawai'i is a State," as U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and others defended U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's decision to spend a weeklong vacation in the Islands.
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
SHOULDN'T WE WAIT FOR INPUT FROM THE GERMAN AMERICANS FOR OBAMA...AND THE ITALIANS, THE IRISH, THE AFRO AMERICANS... SO MANY. IT USE TO BE A 'CONNECTION' WAS SPOKEN OF EITHER THROUGH PARENTS OR CHILDREN. BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR BID IN, SIBLINGS AND INLAWS COUNT.
But Akaka didn't see any humor in Roberts' comments.
"Saying our 50th state is somehow 'foreign,' does a great disservice to the hardworking, patriotic Americans who call Hawai'i home," Akaka said. "For months, people have been asking me, 'When is Sen. Obama going to come home?' I'm so glad he found time to visit his sister and his grandmother, and for him and his family to bond and recharge in his home state. Hawai'i is a great U.S. destination; just ask the 5.5 million Americans who visited last year for business and pleasure."
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
"I JUST WONDER WHY MR. OBAMA DIDN'T THINK TO COME "HOME", TO PURSUE HIS PROFESSIONAL GOALS AND POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS."
facing prejudice
Asian Americans for Obama added, "Aside from the general ridiculousness of casting aspersions on the 'American-ness' of Hawai'i, Ms. Roberts' criticism smacks of the worst prejudices faced by Asian-Americans. ... I'm sure if he had decided to go to the exclusive golfing resort of Myrtle Beach instead, the press would have dutifully reported how 'American' his vacation was and how 'regular' Americans could identify with such a lavish trip."
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
"AS A HOMELESS PERSON, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A DOLLAR FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS TOLD ME THAT 'LIVING IN HAWAII IS LIKE LIVING IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY' OR, 'HAWAII IS LIKE LIVING IN AN ASIAN COUNTRY'. CURIOUS THEY DON'T USE THE WORDS SMACKS OF THE PREJUDICES FACED BY THE STATE OF HAWAII. SEEMS ONLY ASIAN AMERICANS LIVE IN HAWAII OR, ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WOULD TAKE OFFENSE. TYPICAL OF A MAJORITY view."
Akaka's press secretary, Jesse Broder Van Dyke, wants Roberts to see firsthand evidence of Hawai'i's history and its role in the country's future.
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
YES, IT'S ROLE IN THE FUTURE AS A PLEASURE DESTINATION FOR THE RICH WITH THE GENTRIFICATION OF THE POOR COMPLETED.
"I would love to take Ms. Roberts on a tour of O'ahu, with stops at the Arizona Memorial and Punchbowl, followed by a visit with Hawai'i Army National Guard soldiers training for their second deployment to the Middle East," he said. "Then I would take her to Eastside Grill to watch Team USA women's volleyball and Bryan Clay. I would introduce her to Hawai'i residents so she could witness our diversity and learn about the aloha spirit. Part of what makes America great is the unique contributions of all 50 states. Sen. Obama has every right to come home and visit his sister and grandmother."
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
"DON'T SHOW HER THE "ALOHA SPIRIT" YOU SHOWED ME."
"
But Ira Rohter, a University of Hawai'i associate professor of political science, sees an opportunity to come out of the flare-up between Roberts and Akaka.
"Cokie Roberts represents an old mentality that grew up in white America," Rohter said. "Our struggle as a people and as a country is to rise above these old stereotypes. She uses this cliche of Hawai'i, but we are a very complex society where we've learned to live together and move together in a positive way. Hawai'i is the prototype of how people can get along. Hawai'i is the prototype for the nation."
VERNON BALMER JR. SAYS,
"BULL, IRA. HAWAII IS THE PROTOTYPE FOR THOSE IN POWER, WHO POOP UPON THE HEADS OF THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO MAKE HAWAII DO WHAT MOST ANY OTHER STATE WOULD CONSIDER MINIMUM CONSIDERATION FOR IT'S CITIZENS."
