Synopsis: If voting is so important, why hold the special election so soon?

‘O ia po’o mana’o e kau a’ela i luna, he ‘ōlelo no’eau ia mai nā kūpuna mai e hō’ike ana ē ke pau ka ‘ino, he mālie ka mea e ‘ike ‘ia ana. A ‘o ia paha ka mea i holo ai ka mana’o o ka luna koho pāloka, e mālama ‘ia ke koho pāloka ‘ana o ‘elua ‘āpana o Puna he ‘ewalu wale nō lā ma hope o ka pāhola ‘ana mai o ka ‘ino.

He ‘oia’i’o, ua hala ka makani pāhili ‘o Iselle, a he wā mālie nō kā kākou mea e ‘ike nei i kēia manawa. Ua hiki mai nō ka wā mālie, a ua ‘ōlelo ‘ia, ua maika’i nā alanui, ‘a’ohe mea e ‘āke’ake’a ana i ka holo o nā ka’a. A no laila, inā ‘a’ole e no’ono’o nui ke kanaka, e kuhi ana paha ‘o ia, ‘a’ohe pilikia o ka mālama koke ‘ia ‘ana o ke koho pāloka, he ‘ewalu wale nō lā ma hope mai o ka hiki ‘ana mai o ka ‘ino. He ‘oia’i’o paha, ua pau nā alanui i ka mauelekā ‘ia, akā, pehea nā ka’a o kānaka o Puna e holo ai nā manakoho i ke Kula Ha’aha’a ‘o Keonepoko, i kahi koho pāloka. ‘O kekahi o nā ka’a, e like me ka mea i ‘ike ‘ia ma ke kūkala nūhou, ua pau ka pono i ka hina ‘ana o ke kumu lā’au.

Ua ‘olu’olu nō ka meia ‘o Billy Kenoi i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana, e ki’i ‘ia nō ka po’e manakoho, inā ‘a’ohe ka‘a o kekahi e hiki pono ai i kahi koho pāloka. A noi a’e nei ‘o Kenoi inā ‘ike kekahi i kekahi manakoho ‘a’ohe ka’a e hiki aku ai i kahi koho pāloka, e kāhea ‘ia ke ke’ena a e ki’i ‘ia aku nō. Mahalo nui ‘ia nō ia ‘ano ‘olu’olu, a inā ma Honolulu nei, e ma’alahi mai ka hana, ‘oiai, he kokoke nō nā wahi noho kekahi i kekahi. ‘A’ole na’e like ‘o Puna me Honolulu nei, ‘a’ole kokoke nā hale a pau o Puna kekahi i kekahi.

Ua hala ka ‘ino. Ua kau nō ka wā mālie o ka ‘āina. Akā, ‘a’ole wale nō ‘o ka mālie o ka ‘āina ka mea nui, ‘o ka mālie o ka no’ono’o kekahi mea nui. I ke kūkala nūhou o ke kakahiaka o ka Pō’alima nei, ‘a’ohe uila o nā wahi noho he 6,300 ma Puna. He nui ka pō’ino o nā wahi noho. Pehea lā e no’ono’o ai ka manakoho i ke koho pāloka ‘ana? Pehea lā ‘o ia e ha’alele ai i ka hale no ke koho pāloka ‘ana? A wahi a Mileka Lincoln o ka Hawai’i News Now i ia kūkala nūhou, ‘o kekahi po’e kānaka, ‘o ka mea nui iā lākou, ‘o ia ho’i, he aha kā lākou mea e ‘ai ana no ka ‘aina kakahiaka.

Ua lohe ‘ia nō nā luna aupuni i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana ē he mea nui ke koho pāloka ‘ana, a no laila, e koho pāloka. Eia na’e, eia kahi wā e hō’ike ‘i’o mai nā luna aupuni a me ka luna koho pāloka, he mea nui nō ia, a e hana ‘ia nā mea a pau i wahi e hiki ai i nā manakoho a pau o ia mau ‘āpana ‘elua o Puna ke koho pāloka. ‘A’ole na’e pēlā i hana ‘ia ai.

Akā, ke lana nei ka mana’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau, ua hele nā manakoho a pau o Puna i ke koho pāloka o ka Pō’alima nei. Akā, inā ‘a’ole i hele nā manakoho a pau, ‘a’ohe mea e ho’ohalahala ai, ua kūpiliki’i ko lākou no’ono’o. ‘O ka pono o ke kino a me ka ‘ohana ka mea nui.

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.