Safehouse Statements OHA
Good morning Chair Machado, Trustees, I am Samuel Wilder King II. I have been the organizer of pro-thirty meter telescope rallies and I am one of the leaders of the pro-TMT group Imua TMT.
I am here today to request that OHA issue a resolution condemning bullying and threats by members of our community, and especially by and against OHA beneficiaries, related to anyone’s stance on the TMT situation. The vast majority of the most vitriolic language and threats the I have seen have come from the protesters and I believe a resolution from this body can have the greatest effect by addressing that group specifically, although a broad condemnation of any racist or derogatory remarks by either side is in order.
Racist or derogatory statements from TMT supporters that I have been forwarded by protesters include:
“majority of this island stay on section 8 and ebt”
Another post seeming to presume all Hawaiians oppose the TMT states that Hawaiians are “incredibly short sighted and irrational,”
From Protectors I have seen the following:
“You are a fucking haole who thinks they know our culture. Haole stay the hell off our island”
On a post from Governor Ige, in response to a comment explaining that there will be no damage to an aquifer: “fk…you little c**t” and “Governor David Ige…what KERMIT you bitch ass Jap…how you like it if we put Mt FUJI up for sale?”
I have seen numerous posts calling Kalepa Baybayan a traitor or a Haole.
On a post of a flier with a picture of my brother on it one comment read: “Sorry, why is a white dude on this? Clearly not Hawaiian lol”. My brother and I are in fact native Hawaiian OHA beneficiaries.
I have not yet seen physical threats from TMT supporters but I have seen them from protesters as follows:
In response to the most recent poll results getting posted in the Big Island Thieves Facebook group: “it’s kapu aloha for the hawaiians on the mountain not me I punch people in the head still yet. Kapu donkeys in their fucken faces. I’m not one of those kapu aloha kill people with kindness hawaiians.”
“Their throats should be slashed and their blood should be spilled on our Sacred Mauna A Wakea!”
On the Imua TMT Facebook page one post read “Bombs are coming Imua”.
According to one supporter, her 6 year son was bullied and choked at school. He is attacked on a daily basis.
One supporter received blank calls at work and eventually had protesters show up at her work. Her boss asked her to stop speaking on the subject to avoid hurting the company.
PARAPHRASED AFTER SEEMING OBJECTIONS FROM TRUSTEE AHUNA AS TO LANGUAGE:
“it’ll only take 1 min to wear your fatass down and i would leg kick the fuck outta you” “you aint so tough huh? Fatass block me. Talking tough till you realize how much family pull i have. Next time keep your trap shut. Cat caught your tongue and you know damn well my cuzin would fuck you up.”
END PARAPHRASE
In response to a post by the governor of a picture of me and Malia Martin: “I think we have to kidnap her..LOL” and “one day we come for you both”.
In response to a post of a video of Naea Stevens discussing why he supports the TMT: Alright do the real ali’i have to come out and kill this faka”
In response to a post of a StarAdvertiser Article quoting Gordon Squires [head of PR for TMT] stating that TMT has legal right to begin work: “time for the Hawaiians to start assassinating these terrorists!!!”
We have seen how such rhetoric can lead to self-radicalization online and eventually violence. Bullying leaves scars on the victim and the bully. If you do not speak out, I fear the victimization of our children will continue and get worse. My gravest concern is that now that the school year has begun, the bullying will get worse, a victim will snap or a bully will to far, and someone will get killed. I hope that I am exaggerating. But I am here today to mitigate the risk that I am not. I implore you: please send a message to all the protectors and their supporters to condemn any bullying in schools or vicious rhetoric online. I have done and will continue to say the same to the supporters of TMT.