Synopsis: Should we have a casino in Hawai’i? It could be scary.

Welina e nā hoa puni heluhelu. Ma ka Hōkū Avalataisa o ka lā 20 o Ianuali, ua hō’ike ‘ia iho nei ka mālama ‘ia ‘ana o ke ana mana’o no Hawai’i ma ke ‘ano he wahi no nā malihini māka’ika’i. Ma ia mo’olelo nūpepa, ‘ōlelo ‘ia, e hō’ike ana ia ana mana’o i ke kāko’o o nā kānaka i ka hale pili waiwai. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘a’ole i akāka nā nīnau o ia ana mana’o. Hō’ike ‘ia maila, he 76% o nā kānaka i ho’opiha i ke ana mana’o, e hele lākou i kahi kikowaena ho’onanea nona kahi pili waiwai ma Waikīkī. ‘O kahi nīnau i kupu a’e, ua nīnau ‘ia ia mau kānaka, inā e hele lākou i ia kikowaena ho’onanea ho’okahi ma Waikīkī, inā ‘a’ohe wahi pili waiwai.

‘Eā, he kanaka puni pili waiwai nō ko ‘oukou mea kākau, eia na’e, inā ‘a’ohe hale pili waiwai o Hawai’i, ma ka ‘āina ‘ē wale nō e pili waiwai ai. A no laila, aia wale nō a kū ka paila o ke kālā, a laila, e hele aku ko ‘oukou mea kākau i Las Vegas e lū aku ai i ke kālā i ho’omakauli’i ‘ia no nā makahiki he nui.

Akā, inā aia nō ka hale pili waiwai ma ka pā hale pono’ī (‘o ia ho’i, ma kahi kokoke i ka hale, ma Waikīkī paha, ma kahi ‘āina ma O’ahu nei paha), he hele nō paha i laila i kēlā lā kēia lā a e pili waiwai aku i ke kālā a pau loa i ka lilo me ka mana’o pū ‘ana a’e paha, “He lilo mai koe o ke kālā.” A pēlā pū paha me kekahi mau kānaka. A ‘o ia ka mea e hopohopo nei ko ‘oukou mea kākau.

Ma ia ana mana’o, ua hō’ike ‘ia nō ho’i, ua ‘ōlelo he 58 pākeneka, he mea maika’i ke loa’a ia ‘ano hale no ke kūlana no’eau ho’okele waiwai. A ‘ōlelo nō ho’i he 54 pākeneka, ke hui ‘ia nā mea a pau, he mea makehewa a maika’i ‘ole paha ke loa’a.

Aia nō kekahi luna maka’āinana e kāko’o ikaika nei i ka hale pili waiwai ma Hawai’i nei. ‘O ia ‘o Tom Brower. A wahi āna, he pono ke kūkākūkā nā luna kau kānāwai e pili ana i ka hale pili waiwai ma Waikīkī. Ua kipa akula ‘o ia i kekahi mau hale pili waiwai e lawelawe pono ‘ia nei ma Singapore, ma Macau a me ka ‘Āina Pilipino. A ‘ōlelo nō ho’i ‘o Bower, i mea e hiki ai iā Hawai’i ke ho’okūkū me ia mau wahi, he pono paha ka pili waiwai ‘ana.

No ke aha lā kākou e ho’okūkū ai me ia mau wahi? He nui paha nā malihini māka’ika’i e hele aku nei i ia mau hale pili waiwai. Akā, inā pēlā, eia mai kahi ‘ōlelo a’oa’o, “Mai kauka’i kākou i ke kōlea.” ‘O ia ka hewa. Inā hana kākou pēlā, e like me ka mea ma’a mau, ke pilikia ke kūlana no’eau ho’okele waiwai o nā aupuni o nā ‘āina ‘ē, e pilikia auane’i kākou. E nānā kākou i ko kākou pono iho nō. A inā e pane mai kahi luna o kākou, ‘o ia nō ka makemake, ‘o ia ho’i, e kūkulu ‘ia ka hale pili waiwai no nā kupa o Hawai’i nei. A laila, e hō’ole kākou, no ka mea, ‘a’ole paha e maika’i ka hopena.

Inā ‘o ka lūlū me ke ‘ano pili waiwai, ‘o ia ho’i, ka lokeli, ka mea e kama’ilio ‘ia, e aho paha. E no’ono’o paha i ka hui pū ‘ana me kekahi moku’āina. A ‘o ke kālā e loa’a i ke aupuni, e ho’ohana ‘ia no ka ho’olako hou ‘ana i nā polokalamu like ‘ole e pono ai nā kānaka a me nā ‘ohana o Hawai’i nei.

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E ho’ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.