‘Rally to Restore Sanity’ to be held at the state Capitol

A nonpartisan, not-for-profit "Rally to Restore Sanity" event will be held at the state Capitol on Saturday to coincide with rallies nationwide

Comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, hosts of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," respectively, are holding massive rallies in Washington, D.C. this Saturday. The rallies, expected to draw thousands, are a reaction to conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s "Restoring Honor" rally in August.

Stewart said his rally was meant to find "people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard; and who believe that the only time it’s appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles," according to "The Daily Show" website.

Dan Hartenstein, a Honolulu financial planner, said Stewart and Colbert’s sentiments reflected his own and inspired him to organize a similar rally here.

"The message that we’re trying to get across is ringing with everyone," he said. "Everyone is so fed up with all of the yelling and screaming and the pandering the media does to whoever says the most ridiculous thing."

Although there is some national discussion on whether the D.C. rallies are a political event, Hartenstein insists the Honolulu rally will be nonpartisan. 

Hartenstein said he has invited lawmakers to attend and be given an opportunity to show off their "human side." Local comedians have written more personal but lighthearted questions to ask the politicians.

"We’ve all seen the polished, partisan shells," he said. "Show me the person. Talk to me like a human being."

As of yesterday evening, 290 people said they would attend, through the Facebook event listing. 

Daniel Dae Kim, the TV actor from "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-0" will attend, Hartenstein said. Radio personality DJ Maleko has emcee duties.

Hartenstein said he hopes to livestream the event on www.sanityinhonolulu.com, but said he still needs volunteers. The event will be free.

"Sanity is not something we charge for," Hartenstein said.