I, as many, have been following the Maunakea/Thirty Meter Telescope story with keen interest and increasing alarm.

Far from achieving what I understand to be the lasting goals sought and deserved by the Native Hawaiian community, loss of this extensively vetted and legally endorsed telescope will result in a lose/lose/lose situation for them, Hawaii (the state, the island and the larger community), and the future of astronomy.

Earle Partington perhaps captured the quandary most succinctly, when he said that Native Hawaiians have legitimate grievances that desperately need to be addressed, but using the TMT as the cudgel to try to effect the needed action not only will make Hawaii a laughingstock but will also curtail trust and future innovative investment in the state (“Hawaiians hurting their cause by blocking TMT,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 29).

Imua: Move forward with TMT, and move forward with duly compensating and empowering the Native Hawaiian population.

Karin Lynn

Moiliili

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