Quote of the Day (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
“They’ve got a king, and the king wants to sit on the throne.”
Statement by Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, after he and other staff members were locked down in the palace and a nearby administration building during a takeover by “a group of Native Hawaiians claiming to be the state’s legitimate rulers.”
Hawaii’s Iolani Palace was also taken over in late April as discussed in this earlier post.
UPDATE 8/17/2008 – The King couldn’t find the throne:
“The leader of a Hawaiian pro-sovereignty group that broke into a historic palace once home to royalty said he planned to chain himself to the throne but couldn’t find it because he had never been in the palace before.
But palace officials said three locks, including those securing the throne room, were damaged. No artifacts were damaged or stolen, but the group broke into a barracks building and raised a flag on the flagpole, officials said.
Police arrested 23 people during the stunt, in which members of the Kingdom of Hawaii locked the gates to the Iolani Palace on Friday.
The leader, 67-year-old James Kimo Akahi of Haiku, claims he is the rightful king of the islands. He told reporters Saturday that he had never been in the palace before Friday and didn’t know where the throne was kept.”
— DRJ
Aw, give ’em a break. They were just practicing for Inauguration Day.
Icy Truth (784175) — 8/16/2008 @ 10:54 pmI don’t mean to mock, but in my household, the phrase “sitting on the throne” always refers to a throne made of porcelain.
Beldar (db06d4) — 8/17/2008 @ 1:29 amDoesn’t this qualify as treason?
nk (53f203) — 8/17/2008 @ 1:46 amnk, it sure sounds like treason to me. But why should the Bush administration get upset about treason, in view of its long-time hands-off attitude towards invasion from Mexico?
dchamil (44dca7) — 8/17/2008 @ 2:08 amDid the insurgents include the proper balance of whites, minorities, gays and lesbians?
Perfect Sense (9d1b08) — 8/17/2008 @ 3:55 amBush has committed treason, has he?
Icy Truth (612a80) — 8/17/2008 @ 7:25 amnk #3:
Not if you’re a Punahou matriculant or alumnus.
EW1(SG) (84e813) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:04 amIn this particular matter, the “southern-border invasion”,
Another Drew (688ffe) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:09 amhe seems to be somewhat deficient in the “defend and protect” thing.
Treason?
Arguable; but, it would seem a visible blot on his record of defending democracy.
They have a king?
Wow, that’s a step forward.
Patricia (f56a97) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:10 amI’d be inclined to dismiss this with mockery, but the story says that at least one person was hurt–and giving inept would-be government overthrowers a pass can lead to them making more serious and successful ones later. Drop the hammer on all of them for treason and any other federal and state crimes they committed, and hope for the nastiest judge possible to pass sentence. An example needs to be made here.
M. Scott Eiland (a16843) — 8/17/2008 @ 12:29 pmWait….Obama’s from Hawaii, right? Just got back from a vacation there, right? Now I understand where this Obamamania came from.
driver (56cdca) — 8/17/2008 @ 1:50 pmHey, Driver, how are you?
DRJ (a5243f) — 8/17/2008 @ 2:33 pmNever better, DRJ, thanks for asking. We must catch up on things, some time soon.
driver (6a3f37) — 8/17/2008 @ 5:22 pmNotice the last line in the article, “Hawaiian activists have long used the site for protests against the U.S. occupation of the islands.”
Bill M (4418f9) — 8/17/2008 @ 6:17 pmI think we stopped occupying Hawaii in 1959. I swear, these AP writers haven’t got a clue. They support the most idiotic causes.
Under what statute or other applicable law would this be considered treason? I ask because I know the US law provides some very wacky definitions… i.e. conspiring to kill the President is not treason, but giving aid and comfort to enemies during a time of war is.
Or maybe I’m still high.
Gregory (f7735e) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:02 pmWar Canoes at 10:00!
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:25 pmAre the Alien & Sedition Laws still enforceable?
If not, too bad these wacks can’t be incarcerated in a Marine Brig.
Another Drew (688ffe) — 8/17/2008 @ 8:40 pmI’ve updated the post. Twenty-three people were arrested but, sadly, the King couldn’t find the throne.
DRJ (a5243f) — 8/17/2008 @ 9:40 pmYou know how it is guys… You’re in a new place, and you can’t find the throne, and you’re just too embarrassed to ask for directions? Pretty soon to have to hurry home before something bad happens…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 8/18/2008 @ 6:20 am