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It's strange that Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele is being held in jail without bail, while our courts routinely release suspected murderers, rapists, robbers and arsonists pending trial.
It's obvious that the state and federal governments are working to silence Kanahele and destroy his "Nation of Hawaii" movement.
Kanahele is not a danger to the community and he should be released on bail until his trial.
Concerning the arrest of Bumpy Kanahele, it was truly inspirational to watch U.S. Attorney Steve Alm reassert the absolute authority of the U.S. govemment over these islands.
I can tell he's practiced saying 'no one's above the law.' Obviously. Mr. Alm is a true scholar of Hawaiian history and the many 'lawful' U.S. actions here since 1893.
The Democrats must be proud that President Clinton appointed such a politically astute U.S. attorney. Mr. Alm is surely going to show us natives who's boss.
ALAPA'INUI KAMAKAKaneohe
Until recently, I had never met Mr. Kanahele. As part of a project for a graduate class at the University of Hawaii, I requested an interview. He graciously spoke with my husband and me for two hours at his office in Puuhonua, the "Nation of Hawaii."
He is passionate about the message of restoring the Hawaiian people to dignity, His answer to the question, 'What role does school play in the community,' is as follows: 'Education is on top of our list, but what we want our kids to know and understand is Akua (God) and our culture.'
This is the answer of a non-violent man.
Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele is a committed Hawaiian who has worked tirelessly in his effort to educate others about sovereignty and the mission of the group he leads.
In the past couple of years, more legitimate, credible information has become available on the rights of sovereign citizens and an increasing number of people have become aware of the misuse of power in this country.
Federal institutions that perceive themselves to be negatively affected by the flow of this information will act to suppress those who deliver it. I believe Bumpy's arrest is a direct example of this suppression.
His arrest is not really about harboring a fugitive. It is another grave example of the gross injustice perpetrated on those who have the courage to stand up for what they believe.
Bumpy has not committed a crime and should not be in jail. Furthermore, he is not a danger to the community.
It is time that we, as Hawaiians, begin supporting one another despite our differences. While I may not agree with everything Bumpy does, I certainly support the work that he's doing.
The Nation of Hawaii movement, led by 'Bumpy' Kanahele, may have established validity, drawing retribution from the government and political opponents. What better way to disarm a movement than to practice lawlessness, to remove the opposition from the arena and to discredit it?
There certainly seems to be a parallel in these tactics with the misuse of power by China and other government dictatorships. Possibly the government's handling of this situation is an alternative to its Waco, Texas, tactics.
It is difficult for me to believe the federal prosecutor's assertion that Kanahele's arrest had nothing to do with the sovereignty movement.
It makes me wonder if our constitutional rights are being circumvented by bureaucratic whims, and that alarms me.
We the people of Hawaii deserve to know the truth about members of our larger community regardless of their particular politics. I have known "Bumpy" for many years. He is a deeply spiritual family man wholly committed to advancing truth, justice and peace for all people in Hawaii. His true character and Hawaiian ancestry are clearly reflected in his self-determined style of leadership.
This man has taken a nonviolent stand, calling for greater accountability by state and federal government in the affairs of his people. For this he is incarcerated and separated from his loved ones. Wake up, Hawaii; the next political prisoner could be you or someone you love.
Some, especially those who are not entirely familiar with the Nation of Hawaii or the nuances of Hawaiian history, may find the philosophy of Dennis 'Bumpy' Kanahele somewhat extreme.
However, I have found few (if any) activists whose position is as logically consistent and as vigorously pursued as that of Bumpy. If the initial premises of the illegality of the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and the annexation of Hawaii by the United States are granted, then the philosophy and action of Kanahele will appear consistent and justifiable.
Despite the best attempts of federal prosecutors to prejudice Federal Magistrate Barry Kurren against Kanahele on the basis of unsubstantiated hearsay, he is most decidedly not a "danger to the community."
Why are Hawaiians being treated differently? All of this suggests that Bumpy may be right when he says that he is a political prisoner.
The difference between Bumpy Kanahele and other Hawaiian activists is the degree of commitment to the cause. His tactics are no that different from those used by other freedom searching, colonized people around the world who advocated non-violent, civil disobedience.
If Kanahele's situation motivates more people to step out of their own Western-oriented paradigm to learn and understand history from the viewpoint of the Kanaka Maoli, perhaps he and his followers will have achieved a small success.
What ever happened to the American precept that people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law?
I do not agree with "Bumpy" Kanahele's political views, but I am deeply disturbed that he is being held in jail without the opportunity of bail - not because he has been convicted of a crime, but because members of a federal agency and a federal judge suspect that he might commit a crime.
In all the 40 years I have lived in Hawaii, I have never heard of Kanahele's being a threat to the security of the community. On the contrary, many of the Hawaiian sovereignty situations in which he has been involved might have degenerated into violence without his peacemaking efforts.
Federal agency and judicial actions in this case raise a serious concern. Are federal agencies required to observe the constitutional rights of the people or are they free to act on their own, supported by judges who seem to observe political correctness more than the upholding of American freedoms?
If federal agencies have information that they feel makes Kanahele a "danger to the community" they should make these data available to the public. Otherwise, we see yet another erosion of American laws of protection for its citizens. If this is true, Waimanalo will be our next Waco.
It's time to end the judicial silliness and set "Bumpy" Kanahele free. The Nation of Hawaii leader has been held without bail since his arrest Aug. 2 on federal charges of harboring a native Hawaiian tax fugitive and obstructing his arrest. He faces trial Oct. 3.
Bail would be routine on such charges, but two federal judges have ruled Kanahele should remain incarcerated because he is a flight risk and potentially violent.
They fear that he won't show up for trial because he believes U.S. laws don't apply to him as a citizen of a sovereign Hawaiian nation. His "arrests" of state and federal officials for violating Nation of Hawaii laws set off the violence alarms.
Kanahele certainly should have to face the consequences of crimes he commits. The nature of civil disobedience is that you commit a crime to make a political point and expect to be arrested and possibly jailed for it. But if Kanahele is going to do time, let it be for crimes he is convicted of - not for crimes authorities fear be might commit. To put it perspective, even suspected murderer Eugene Barrett initially had bail set.
The extraordinary decision to hold him without bail leaves Kanahele and his followers with a credible case that he is a political prisoner. ...
(continues...)
Dennis 'Bumpy' Kanahele is being incarcerated because he believes in the principle expounded by Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for enough good people to do nothing."
Kanahele is an extremely competent leader, and because he believes so strongly in the cause of sovereignty, he has made it his responsibility to see that there are many others as knowledgeable as he is about the movement.
The allegations against Kanahele concerning orchestrated hostility are absolutely ludicrous. Kanahele can be compared to Mahatma Gandhi in his efforts to attain his worthy goals through peaceful means, including passive resistance.
No, neither the sovereignty movement nor the Hawaiian nation is doomed by the insidious, deceptive tactics of the American powers.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Thursday, September 14, 1995
The federal government has given Bumpy Kanahele of the Nation of Hawaii sovereignty movement status as a political prisoner comparable to that of Queen Liliuokalani, Prince Kuhio and Robert Wilcox.
All were sent to Jail as their sovereignty was threatened and their monarchy was taken away.
All were exonerated and released from incarceration, all for the restoration of their sovereignty.
One has to think the U.S. government continues to repeat history.
Justice for the Hawaiian people seems to be a low priority with the state and federal governments.
The unjust treatment of "Bumpy" Kanahele mirrors the magnitude of injustice tolerated by the people of Hawaii today. How in God's name can the federal government justify no bail in this case, and in the same calendar mouth provide bail-bond conditions for known armed and dangerous repeat criminals who are probable flight risks? Even suspected murderers merit bail and yet Bumpy is held without bail.
Perhaps Kanahele has discovered key political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Hawaiian people that vested interests fear.
The Nation of Hawaii is attempting to educate the state and federal governments with appropriate information that dispels unfounded fears and opens the doors of meaningful communication. In time, truth, justice and common sense will resolve historic and contemporary injustices.
In the meantime, say a prayer to free Bumpy and to protect all people from unwarranted government harassment.
How much more of our money do the feds want to spend for mistrials on trumped-up charges?
The case against Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele is so ridiculous it makes me ashamed to be a haole taxpayer.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Thursday, Nov. 9, 1995
The trial of Dennis Kanahele is not only an obvious ploy by the federal government to suppress the sovereignty movement in Hawaii, but a waste of taxpayer dollars. Kanahele is being tried as a political prisoner in his own homeland. By "harboring a fugitive," i.e. educating strangers about Hawaiian history, and deterring strangers who failed to identify themselves from entering his property, Kanahele did what most would have done under the circumstances. He was educating strangers about where they reside and protecting his property.
The absurdity of not allowing Kanahele bail because he is "a danger to the community" depicts a government bent on exercising absolute authority, regardless of reason. Kanahele and the Nation of Hawaii are committed to Gandhian principles of nonviolence and peaceful resistance. In fact, the sovereignty movement in Hawaii has always been peaceful and nonviolent. So why is Goliath so intimidated and fearful? Release Kanahele.
Regarding Bumpy Kanahele's trial on harboring a fugitive: If justice prevails, Bumpy Kanahele will go free.
Every Hawaiian has not given up his or her sovereign rights. What has transpired in past transgressions, from the Sovereign Nation of Hawaii to the present state of Hawaii, has been fraudulent. History bears this out. Internationally, there is no statute of limitation to fraud.
The political attack on Bumpy Kanahele, who exercises his sovereign rights, is a smoke-screen hiding real issues. A suffocating situation. The factual history of injustices perpetrated at the Hawaiian peoples' expense is recorded and this must not be ignored.
I know Nathan Brown. If he was wanted that badly by the authorities, he could have been picked up with ease. I personally saw him on two different occasions.
Was this a setup to get Bumpy? I believe it was.
How can Steven Alm say that Bumpy Kanahele is a danger to the community (Kanahele dedicated to non-violence," Nov. 3) when Gov. John Waihee appointed him to the state-sponsored Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission after warrants were issued for Kanahele's arrest?
If he is such a danger why did it take over a year and a half to arrest this highly visible sovereignty leader?
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