Hawaiians want their independence

Please wait for me to get there.

Kaiopua Fyfe, an organizer who lives on the island of Kauai, said many Hawaiians consider the United States' governance of Hawaii to be an illegal occupation of a country, similar to the British Empire's colonization of India and the current situation in Iraq.

..."Everything we have has to be imported in," said Imaikakoloaenui Nauha, who lives in Modesto, but was born and raised in Honolulu. "Hawaii is one of the richest states, yet it's the poorest because of the state that America has left us in." article

And the issue may be complicated. This article claims that Hawaii was illegally annexed in the first place. (Thanks to What Really Happened for the link.)

The article points to, surprise, American sugar barons. (I'll try to remember to follow up on these guys, as I've recently read some very unflattering articles about them.)

But in the end, simple greed and military interest overrode any concerns or moral right and legality. Hawaii's legitimate government was toppled using threat of American military force. Hawaii was stolen from her people for the benefit of wealthy American plantation owners and military interests, and the justifications for the crime were invented after-the-fact.

My friend Jody, who lives in Honolulu, sent me this link a few months ago:

Hawaii Declares Independence From All Foreign Powers - July 15, 2003

Save me a place, Jody.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.