The future
The future
Regarding the the Thirty Meter Telescope: Except for nostalgic yearning, no one can actually live in the past.
Let’s all learn to live for today and tomorrow.
T. Ono
Hilo
We are Mauna Kea
It’s very bothersome that the Tribune-Herald seems to publish only pro-TMT letters and few if any anti-TMT. There can be no mistaking the movement underfoot.
The Hawaiian nation, bolstered by many non-kanaka maoli supporters, has organized in a way that up to more recent times, has been without cohesion. And, it’s led by the youth, supported by the kupuna.
Whether this protest is successful or not will be determined shortly; perhaps whether it is or not is inconsequential. This is a new beginning, a re-emergence of the Hawaiian nation, and the feeling it creates in my na‘au gives me chicken skin.
Development on the mauna, indeed development of any kind, is always motivated, first and foremost, by money. In this case, science is the cover.
A $1.4 billion investment? User fees alone will amount to hundreds of millions per year. To study the beginning of time? Ludicrous!
We inhabitants of Earth have so many problems to deal with, and so much to be concerned about, that studying outer space seems almost a trivial pursuit. Besides, where does all this money go? Certainly not here. While $1 million a year is not chicken scratch for the average individual here in Hawaii, it’s chicken scratch when compared to the hundreds of millions earned by the TMT partners. And we provide the real estate.
Maybe University of Hawaii should be providing all Hawaii students with free tuition. Why does tuition keep going up?
Bottom line: We don’t need more development on our sacred mauna. In my mind, we should respect the ‘aina and the mauna, respect the culture and the people. We are Mauna Kea. Aole TMT.
Joel Peralto
Hilo
No access?
The access road to Mauna Kea requires constant maintenance. If all of the telescopes are removed, will we all lose the ability to drive to the summit?
Peter Epperson
Mountain View
The ‘big picture’
I’ve read various opinions about the TMT set to be built upon our majestic mountain. I can only look at the big picture here.
For example, the albizia trees were brought here to our islands to help establish a better forest canopy. Bad idea.
All this wala‘au of how our royalty, if they were alive today, would want cement buildings on our majestic mountain in the name of progress? Wrong again.
I grew up looking upon Mauna Kea and seeing her beauty and hearing the Brothers Cazimero’s song whispering in my mind, “Maunakea,” and her magnificent beauty glowing in my pu‘uwai (heart), just captured by her mama.
Now I’m haunted by truth in Dennis Pavao’s many songs that depicted our future of losing everything we got, the ‘aina and the aloha. Pua kai ‘ilima. Auwe.
Mary Branco
Hilo