Democratic Party of Hawaii acting against democratic principles

"Do you still want to be a Democrat?" a woman asks me.

It’s the fifth time I’ve been asked this today. It seems everyone knows the Democratic Party is trying to block me from appearing on the ballot as a Democratic candidate for public office.

Suddenly, I’m back in fourth grade; it’s 1970. My mother was told she needed her husband’s approval to get a credit card. She talked about fighting for equal rights.

The next day, I convinced three friends to go to the principal’s office to ask that girls be allowed to wear pants to school. It sounds silly, but norms were different then. Girls grew up to be stay-at-home moms, so there was no need to foster our potential for anything else.

Thanks to Democrats like Patsy Mink, I grew up when women could become anything. That movement changed the lives of every girl. That’s why I became a Democrat, and that’s why I’ve spent more than 20 years advocating for women, children, social justice and the environment.

I’m willing to work with anyone of any party on matters where we agree, reserving the right to disagree on other matters. That used to be common.

Today, however, the political pendulum has swung so far it’s bent. The extremes within parties pull us apart. Cries of "DINO" and "RINO" push moderates out of office, out of political parties, and out of participation in government.

Hawaii has not been immune to these changes. But our experience has been less public, until now.

The conversion of Mike Gabbard and appointment of Bev Harbin bothered many Democrats. The party understandably wanted to ensure that converts and appointments supported its platform.

In the rush to address these cases, a rule was written that is more powerful than what many people realized. The manner in which this rule was applied in my case makes people uncomfortable for good reason.

An 18-person committee on Oahu (fewer on neighbor islands) controls whether new members may run for office. The only appeal is to a 60-person state committee. That means nine and 30 people opposing a candidate can block a member of the party from running for office, and can deprive other party members and voters the right to choice in an election.

Democratic principles support inclusive participation in government. We are the party that championed voting rights. A primary election where you can vote only for candidates that are pre-approved by any small group is undemocratic and wrong.

The party hardliners have already tried to expand the committees’ control. They proposed screening members for their entire first year. Some hardliners advocate for committees to screen all Democratic candidates.

Fortunately, the Democratic Party consists of many groups, not just one. The attempt to reject me as a candidate is making us have an open discussion about party ideology and voting rights. I am heartened that so many members of the party are not comfortable with the hardline position. It remains to be seen which side will win. But the fight will clearly continue well beyond the decision about my candidacy. Far greater issues are at stake for all Hawaii Democrats.

I look at the woman questioning me. The real question is: Do I want to fight for democratic principles, even when it means fighting within my own party?

When we asked her if we could wear pants, our principal responded, "Dears, you always could. You were only limiting yourselves."

I learned then that it’s important to stand up for what is right. You can’t let other people do it for you.

"Yes," I answer.