Let me get this straight. As a green card holder, I can do (and have done) the following: donate money to and fundraise on behalf of political candidates, canvass voters, make get-out-the- vote calls and design campaign mailers. I can call legislators, lobby for legislation, testify before the Legislature and write letters to the editor (like this one).
What I can’t do is vote. This seems backwards. All these actions to have an impact in a democracy, but I’m denied one of the least impactful yet most basic rights: suffrage. For good or bad, politicians still care more about people who can vote than those who can’t.
Even so, here’s what I have to do: pay taxes and obey the laws. I say Hawaii should follow countries like Australia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and many others by giving lawful permanent residents the right to vote in local elections.
Charles Jonsson
Chinatown
EXPRESS YOURSELF
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