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Given this reality, I am appalled that you would support a resumption of construction by TMT, rather
than calling upon them to wait until the Supreme Court rules. The resumption of construction serves
only one purpose provocation. Knowing that their project is in jeopardy, the TMT leadership has
decided to recreate the confrontation that led to suspension of construction.
First they have conducted a public relations campaign designed to convince the public that the
astronomer community are wonderful stewards of the sacred mountain and that public opinion strongly
supports the construction of TMT. In the full-page advertisement in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on
November 4, placed by the Maunakea Observatories, the astronomers state:
[Mauna a Wkea] is home to an incredible diversity of ecosystems and represents a cultural
anchor for much of Polynesia.
The astronomers continue their attempt to relegate the traditional faith of the Hawaiian people to the
status of a culture. Do you believe that Buddhism is a faith or a culture? Do you believe that Christianity
is a faith or a culture? If Buddhism and Christianity are faiths, why is the traditional faith of the Hawaiian
people a culture?
I think the answer to that question is obvious. To acknowledge the living traditional faith would require
acknowledging the spiritual protocols of that faith. Under those protocols, the TMT would never be
built on the sacred Mountain.
For the State to grant a permit to violate those protocols would require a compelling governmental
purpose. A private organization wishing to build an instrument for astronomical tourism would not
meet that compelling purpose test.
The public relations campaign is trying to hide the truth and manipulate public opinion. You have
acknowledged that stewardship of the mountain has been seriously deficient and results of a poll
designed to elicit specific answers mean nothing.
Second, the Board of Land and Natural Resources Chairperson rattled the sword wielded by the DLNR
law enforcement in an attempt to provoke the Protectors of the Mountain, who withstood repeated
arrests in the prior confrontation.
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Why would you and TMT want to recreate the confrontation when the permit is about to be
invalidated? I can perceive only one goal of such a decision misdirection. The TMT wants the public to
get all upset that protestors are blocking these innocent and culturally sensitive astronomers from
simply pursuing scientific knowledge. You want to direct public attention away from the fact that State
of Hawaii agency violated the constitutional rights of the public to be heard prior to a State decision,
like issuance of the permit, being made.
As a side benefit, your administration and TMT might hope that the provocation and subsequent
confrontation would influence the Supreme Courts decision.
I call upon you to show leadership regarding the TMT by urging TMT to delay any resumption of
construction until the Supreme Court rules. If that ruling is what we expect, there will be no basis for
resumption of construction and no need for the Protectors of the Mountain to respond to such a
provocation.