The Molokai Times
Monday, April 28, 2008
By Sen. J. Kalani English
I recently had a chance to visit Moloka'i High School's Hawaiian Immersion class to discuss the closure of Moloka'i Ranch and the impacts that could have on the Moloka'i community. Kumu Manuwai Peters helped moderate the discussion, which was entirely in Hawaiian, and the students left me very impressed with their understanding of the issues, their grasp of the needs of their island and state, and their ability to envision a future for themselves and their 'ohana.
Visits to classrooms are often eye-opening experiences, and I frequently find myself asking if I knew nearly as much as these students when I was their age. Yet this group was something special. They are deeply and firmly rooted in Moloka'i, its challenges, and its potentials, while also maintaining an interest and connection to interests far beyond their own shores. They converse eloquently in their mother tongueÑa language that was all but lost just a few generations agoÑbut are clearly children of the world. These students are simultaneously at the core of preservation and the vanguard of change.
"Change" has become the mantra of our times, statewide, nationwide, and across the globe. Media reports remind us of climate change, economic change, and cultural change. All three presidential candidates position themselves as agents of change for America's future. Technological change puts thousands of songs in our pockets, crisper pictures on our televisions, and a mass of information at our fingertips.
Yet our time is not unique in presenting a flurry of world-altering change. One hundred years ago, in 1908, the Wright brothers demonstrated the practicality of powered flight. That same year, Henry Ford began manufacturing his Model T, the car that would put automobile travel within the reach of an average family. And as the year closed, Theodore Roosevelt, our first conservationist president, prepared to leave office, having laid the groundwork for what has grown into an extensive system of national parks, limited the power of corporate trusts to control economic markets, and brought the importance of our natural environment into the broad public consciousness.
For the man or woman of 1908, each of these developments brought with it the potential for life-alteringÑand society-alteringÑchange.
Roughly one hundred days ago, we convened the current legislative session. At the time, we looked at a well-established list of priorities, including improving education, fostering economic development, and supporting a sustainable Hawai'i for our shared future. Since then, we have seen the bankruptcy of Aloha Airlines, the announcement of governor's mission to preserve Turtle Bay on Oahu's North Shore, and the unexpected closure of Moloka'i Ranch. Sudden change with the potential to alter lives.
We can never say with certainty what today's developments will mean for tomorrow. In a world where change is constant and accelerating, we can take a lesson from the Moloka'i High School Hawaiian Immersion students: maintain ties to our core beliefs and culture, even as we watch for what is on the horizon. Prepare for the future, but preserve the fundamentals.
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