Thread: A Separate, Race-Based Government for Native Hawaiians?

A Separate, Race-Based Government for Native Hawaiians?

Posted February 23rd, 2010 at 5:50pm in Ongoing Priorities, Rule of Law



The U.S. House is expected to vote today on the creation of the largest tribal entity in U.S. history under the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, despite last-minute opposition by Hawaii’s governor, Linda Lingle (R), and serious questions regarding the bill’s constitutionality. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama promised to sign the legislation.

The bill would establish a separate, race-based governing body to represent Native Hawaiians in negotiations with state and federal governments. As The National Review writes, the Act would:

…partly disenfranchise a portion of one state’s residents, create a parallel government for those meeting a legislated criterion of ethnic purity, and would portend the transfer of public assets, land, and political power from those who fail to satisfy the standard of ethnic purity to those who do.

The goal, as The National Review notes, is “to apply the model of American Indian tribes’ formal sovereignty to people of native Hawaiian ancestry.â€

And what is the absolute, concrete definition of race these days? As groups like La Raza continually pound that Hispanics are a separate race, rather than peoples of many races and nations speaking Spanish (in some form) while not even sharing the same traditions. So what will qualify a native Hawaiian to be considered under the new government?

It's ironic that the left is always saying that race is only a "social construct." I guess not, though, in certain cases.

Originally Posted by noyoucannot

It's ironic that the left is always saying that race is only a "social construct."

Yeah, and they sure are bound and determined to socially separate us into as many races as possible!! Cannot print what I think of them.