kahu = guardian, protector, defender

Some people who know me well asked if our move to Hawai’i was an act of self-preservation.

Yes, it was.

We knew that things could get really bad in the U.S. with the election. We were thankful that the election didn’t spark violence, but we were appalled at the incredible ignorance of the American electorate. Last time we went through this eight years ago, it wrecked my physical and mental health. I was angry for four straight years. And while I found my strength, my voice, and my community during that time, and we made a genuine difference together, I needed a new strategy this time around. For both myself and my family.

The Hawaiian culture is beautiful. People speak of aloha on a daily basis. It’s in the way they hold themselves, the way they look at others, the way they kindly and gently walk through the world. The sense of caring, for the people and the land, is soul-nourishing and something I want to embody in all of my being. It is the antithesis of what the current American leadership values.

From the State of Hawai’i Statutes:

§ 5-7.5 “Aloha Spirit”. (a) “Aloha Spirit” is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, “Aloha“, the following unuhi laulā loa may be used:
           “Akahai“, meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness;
           “Lōkahi“, meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;
           “ʻOluʻolu” meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;
           “Haʻahaʻa“, meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;
           “Ahonui“, meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.
    These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii’s people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ”Aloha” is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ”Aloha” means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. “Aloha” is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ”Aloha” means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.
    (b) In exercising their power on behalf of the people and in fulfillment of their responsibilities, obligations and service to the people, the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, executive officers of each department, the chief justice, associate justices, and judges of the appellate, circuit, and district courts may contemplate and reside with the life force and give consideration to the “Aloha Spirit”. [L 1986, c 202, § 1]

Being in the embrace of aloha, I feel somewhat removed from the direct impact of the administration’s actions so far, but I know we all need to pay attention, I will protest, I will resist, I will rise up with these sisters and brothers, keiki, aunties and uncles, and I will defend aloha.

Since President’s Day was a holiday, I was able to join the protest at the State Capitol. I was so very encouraged to see the hundreds, if not thousands, who turned up. Indivisible has a real presence here. When I go to these events, I am always impressed by the creativity of my fellow activists. The sense of camraderie is empowering.

Malama Hawai’i!