Betsy Newmark takes an incredibly thorough look at the Akaka bill, with links to what has to be just about everything written on the subject. For those who don't recall, the bill would "designate Native Hawaiians as a separate group deserving of special self-governing privileges similar to those which Native Americans have had." Here is one of the reasons Betsy sets out that the bill is such a terrible idea.
The bill, the Native Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, commonly referred to as the Akaka Bill after its chief sponsor, Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. What the bill aims to do is to establish a Native Hawaiian Governing Entity that only Native Hawaiians could vote for. A commission would be established to determine who qualifies as a Native Hawaiian. They would have to prove that they have a direct lineal descent from those "aboriginal, indigenous, native people" who were either on the islands in 1893 or in 1921 when Congress passed another law establishing special programs for native Hawaiians. So, they will create a special list of voters for which people would have to submit marriage and birth certificates to prove their ancestry. Is this really what America is about, adding qualifications for voting in an election that depend on proving whom your grandmother married or where your great-grandfather was born? And with high intermarriage rates, are we now going to adopt a one-drop qualification to prove that you are indeed a Native Hawaiian? Doesn't this violate the Fifteenth Amendment's provisions against race-based voting qualifications?
John McCain has said he will vote for it, while Jon Kyl is fighting against it. Read Betsy's entire post for even more reasons the bill is a bad idea.
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Comments (6)
Yet more absurdity! doesnt... (Below threshold)1. Posted by virgo | May 29, 2006 11:02 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yet more absurdity! doesnt McPain ever get anything right?
1. Posted by virgo | May 29, 2006 11:02 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 29, 2006 23:02
2. Posted by ed | May 29, 2006 11:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hmmmm.
And again yet another example of why it's a very bad idea to blindly support Republicans in order to create or maintain an artificial politicaly majority in Congress.
2. Posted by ed | May 29, 2006 11:12 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 29, 2006 23:12
3. Posted by MikeB | May 30, 2006 7:11 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yet another indication that the "Great American Melting Pot" is officially passe.
- MikeB
3. Posted by MikeB | May 30, 2006 7:11 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2006 07:11
4. Posted by Wanderlust | May 30, 2006 7:58 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
All you need to do is look at race relations and politics between Maori and "paheka" (white europeans) in New Zealand to see how horrible an idea this is.
If Hawaii does this silly thing, they can soon expect some "native Hawaiians" to want to seceed from the USA. When they do, I say, give them their own "country" - and make them pay for all the developed infrastructure in it, and any military protection they beg for.
/rolling eyes out of sockets
4. Posted by Wanderlust | May 30, 2006 7:58 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2006 07:58
5. Posted by kevino | May 30, 2006 9:47 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Virgo has the correct question: is there any issue in recent history that Senator McCain has taken the pro-American position? I'm beginning to wonder if he was brainwashed in that POW camp to become a socialist deep-cover agent.
5. Posted by kevino | May 30, 2006 9:47 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2006 09:47
6. Posted by moseby | May 30, 2006 1:44 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'll start giving a shit about hawaii when I can't get pineapples or macadamia nuts. However, this case does shed some light on what an ass mccain is.
6. Posted by moseby | May 30, 2006 1:44 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 30, 2006 13:44