Posters defaced by racial slur
DENNIS ODA / JUNE 30
Cedric Gates, right, waved signs last month with some of his supporters along Farrington Highway in Maili.
Cedric Gates, a Democratic candidate running for state House District 44, said he felt shocked and disgusted after finding out Tuesday morning that some of his campaign posters had been defaced and spray-painted with a racial slur.
Initially, the incident made him question whether the Waianae Coast community supported him. But Gates, who is Polynesian and African-American, said hundreds of supportive and comforting messages poured in throughout the day, prompting him to think otherwise.
“It’s imperative that we stay united as a community and as a state and nation to address these kinds of hate crimes that are being committed,” said Gates, 23. “I would just like to make it clear that this one incident does not reflect the views of the Waianae Coast community as a whole.”
Gates, a candidate for the district that spans Maili, Waianae, Makaha and Makua, said he expected to finish filing a police report for the four stolen banners and two defaced posters along Farrington Highway by Tuesday night or this morning. He said one of his posters was defaced last week with a marking pen, but his team was able to remove the markings.
He said he is also working with a property owner to obtain video footage of one of the defaced posters near Da Crawfish and Crab Shack in Maili. He has since taken down the posters and said his campaign probably cannot recoup the $700 to $800 for all of the stolen and defaced materials, adding that he does not “want to make any accusations at this time.”
Alphonso Braggs, president of the Hawaii NAACP, said he has spoken with Gates about the incident and described it as “reflective of ignorant people who refuse to embrace diversity and respect for their fellow man.”
37 responses to “Posters defaced by racial slur”
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What race is African Americans? Are Isrealites African Americans – Israel lies in North Africa? Are Arabs African Americans ? Are white South Africans African Americans? Are Berbers African Americans? See the nonsense of naming African Americans a race?
Point taken. However, Israel is in Asia. Hence “the Middle East.”
Yea its confusing – there are Caucasians, Blacks and Asians from South Africa, that now have American citizenship after immigrating here.
Shouldn’t SA say that Gates was also Polynesian American and African American? Their description only puts him as 1/2 American.
used to call them royal hawaiians
The only nonsense I see is your post. Race is more of a social concept than a scientific one anyways. What might be considered “white” in America might be considered something totally different in Russia. To put forth that sort of argument shows your ignorance, like most of your posts.
Oh come on Morimoto, can’t you see the humor? a guy named “Popolo” says people used to call them “royal hawaiians”. That’s hilarious, and true too.
The American part is to identify him as being from America vs. Africa, the Caribbean, or some other place that blacks (Africans) may have come from. It’s like saying Japanese American, which is a person of Japanese ancestry from America vs. Japan.
Hawaii is better than this shameful desecration.
So true, copperwire9!
Very likely self-inflicted for publicity and sympathy votes – don’t be conned.
now that’s an abstract thought
Well, can we say the Westsiders ain’t PC folks?
I disagree..that would be a big mistake and I don’t think he is foolish like you.
ridiculous. maybe there are some actual people on the west side who are not full of Aloha.
True kailua, we actually have an influx of whites. (Was going to say how lee).
this is a longstanding and well-known tactic in hawaii politics. it goes back to gov. george burns.
Now yours is inappropriate
Could be a self-inflicted wound to stir the electorate. Divide voters on racial rather than real problems for District 44. Rousing electorate ire garner sympathy could be a strategic ploy/ruse?
Right Mr Trump.
Ha, good one, Hodad.
this is a longstanding and well-known tactic. dan inouye himself admitted to having participated in a meeting that led to tearing down the party’s own signs.
that being said, there’s no evidence that that’s what happened…but i do wonder. it frankly seems more likely than someone caring enough about a local house race to deface and steal signs.
Sad to see this – no Aloha Spirit here! I guess the haters are out there, but we can’t let them have the last word.
Hanabatta did it!
Seriously though…this does not surprise in the land of “Aloha” where latent racism is everywhere. Oahu is not much more than a redneck, southern mainland style place but with Asian/Poly faces instead of Caucasian. We even have the cars on cinder blocks in the front yard to prove it.
True! LOL. 😮
I would substitute the word “biological” for “scientific” in your otherwise good post.
Don’t take this lolo’s defacing to heart: I grew up in Hawaii, nice and brown. I have lived in eastern Washington (pretty close to the headquarters of the Aryan Nation), Las Vegas, the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and near Newport News Va. I have traveled quite a all over the contiguous US.
Although there is racism here, this place has, by far, the sweetest and most empathetic population I have seen. Forrest was right, “Stupid is as stupid does.” But in Hawaii Nei even city buses throw shaka signs.
Is there some unwritten rule that prohibits any publication from actually printing certain words, but only alluding to them? I’m sure that these words are neither obscene nor profane but are not allowed to be printed or spoken in the media.
Society is being overrun by cowards these days; terrorists, taggers, etc. You wanna kill or slur someone, then do it while you look them in the eyes. COWARDS! This young man is trying to make soemthing of himself and make a difference in the world, unlike you who contribute absolutely nothing to society.
Lots of hate in this area of Honolulu… problem is the schools.
Exactly what what was the “slur”?
Starts with da letter “N” ends with da letter “R”, and I don’t mean NeighboR.
Never?
Seriously, you can’t figure it out? How old are you? 5?
Whota bradda, on behalf of the trouble makers you get lots of free press and voter sympathy..good one and good luck.
Looking at the bright side, the candidate gotten lots of positive publicity over this. Never heard of him, but now he sure has the attention to help him toward his goal. Good luck!
Disturbing….