Hold Hanohano accountable

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 01, 2013

~~<p>Hawaii takes pride in being a multiracial ohana, frowning on vulgar references to the origin of people by race. State Rep. Faye Hanohano's racial and ethnic slurs on Monday were unprecedented and shockingly repugnant — further, she allegedly threatened to withhold funds from a state cultural agency if she did not get works by Native Hawaiian artists. Hanohano's half-hearted apology notwithstanding, her House colleagues cannot condone such offensive behavior from a public official and should consider censure or taking other appropriate action.</p>
<p>In response to artworks hung in her Capitol office as part of an "Art in Public Places" exhibit, Hanohano, who is Native Hawaiian, called them "ugly" — her opinion, of course — but then told installers that "any work done by Haoles, Japs, Paranges, Pakes, you can just take away right now," according to a state exhibit specialist's account.</p>
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Hawaii takes pride in being a multiracial ohana, frowning on vulgar references to the origin of people by race. State Rep. Faye Hanohano's racial and ethnic slurs on Monday were unprecedented and shockingly repugnant — further, she allegedly threatened to withhold funds from a state cultural agency if she did not get works by Native Hawaiian artists. Hanohano's half-hearted apology notwithstanding, her House colleagues cannot condone such offensive behavior from a public official and should consider censure or taking other appropriate action.

In response to artworks hung in her Capitol office as part of an "Art in Public Places" exhibit, Hanohano, who is Native Hawaiian, called them "ugly" — her opinion, of course — but then told installers that "any work done by Haoles, Japs, Paranges, Pakes, you can just take away right now," according to a state exhibit specialist's account. Login for more...