I’m a pragmatist, and so I have one looming question: What is the goal of the activists blocking construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea? TMT go home? And if so, what in the grand scheme of things does that accomplish?

The activists use an existential defense, that Mauna Kea is sacred. Sacred being defined as “connected with God or dedicated to a religious ceremony that is spiritual, devotional and ecclesiastical.” However, historical records document that no one has ever even summited or worshipped at the proposed TMT site. By evoking such a broad definition of sacred, then basically almost anything in Hawaii could be defined as sacred: the sky, the ocean, the beaches, the land our homes rest upon and the roads we drive on.

I admire the tenacity and dedication of all activists. But why not refocus this activism with a unified voice to address some of our more tangible problems, such as homelessness, income disparity and education as well as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ historic failure to address these persistent issues?

Deborah Luckett

Waialae-Kahala

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