Life in the Law – Interview with Professor Williamson Chang and Dr. Keanu Sai

Host of Life in the Law, Kenneth Lawson, interviews law Professor Williamson Chang and political scientist Dr. Keanu Sai on the legal issues surrounding the occupation of the Hawaiian Islands. Lawson is faculty at the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law and teaches criminal law.

32 thoughts on “Life in the Law – Interview with Professor Williamson Chang and Dr. Keanu Sai

  1. Love it! “So what if your right.” “What if people are Ok with the way things are.”
    Nothing against the interviewer, but I think his comments are what a majority of people say when initially confronted with the illegal occupation. They are comments based on emotion and not rational thinking.
    In my opinion, what they are saying is ” it is OK to not abide by the laws. It is OK that our government does not abide by its constitution” What they are not taking into account is what is protected by law and what could happen if a government does not abide by its constitution.
    The protection or security of a contract only exists under law, whether it is a mortgage, services, goods, housing or benefits. The rights that Americans are so proud of are only protected by the constitution.
    Their statements only admit to ignorance and say “it is OK to victimize me”
    Education, people!
    My 2 cents

    • Oh, yeah. Well you cannot really blame the interviewer. You cannot really blame nobody in fact who are completely unaware of Hawaii’s legal history. What he is learning go against everything he was taught about Hawaii. Its like a parasitic evil voice that’s inside a person’s brain telling that person not to believe all this stuff (Hawaii’s legal history) and stick with the status quo. (Hawaii is the 50th state, Hawaii would’ve been taking over by someone else if not the United States, American has freedom, etc)

      Shows how sadistic this occupation has become to the Hawaiian psyche! Especially to the keiki. Its horrible!

  2. OHA’s hemahema pushing for nation building seems to have the opposite effect.

    The DOI hearings and their rescinding Dr. Crabbe’s letter have only created opportunities for Dr. Sai to further educate Hawaiians and everyone else, too. (Oops.)

  3. What they keep overlooking is that the U.S. directly orchestrated the takeover by the Executive Branch and the pro-annexationist in U.S. Congress (Legislative Branch) who actually conspired to effect this event. The Turpie Resolution of 31 May 1894 threatened U.S. officials and other nations not to intercede in the Hawaiian situation as it would be an unfriendly act against the United States and that the people of Hawaii totally had the right to maintain their own form of government and domestic polity. The Ku’e Petitions of 1897 answered this part of the Turpie Resolution. This is why Cleveland’s hands were tied and other nations would not intervene. McKinley’s purpose was for the U.S. to gain naval power over the Pacific besides using Hawaii for an outpost against its adversaries, including great Britain and Japan. Hawaii’s neutrality status was affected; so by annexation of Hawaii would eliminate that status and Spain wouldn’t be able to contest that measure of Hawaii’s neutrality status. The treaty of reciprocity was expiring and the coaling station and R&R for its troops were in jeopardy. The chain of events would be catastrophic for the U.S. and was an all or nothing situation regardless of international laws.

    • Maika’i nui e Tane! Your points are well taken here. Along with Buzzy Agards “Dispatch 74” findings in the National Archives which exposed the U.S. choreography of landing naval forces to overthrow the Hawaiian Kingdom, we now have additional evidence for the ICCJ to get the gorilla out of the building. Pololei, me ka pono.

    • Aloha capt
      Have you seen this one-

      11 min mark professor chang talks about saving the mauna wakea, saving the aina… ” SHOW ME THE TITLE”

      • Aloha Pomai

        Yes I saw it last night and its a great video, he is also willing to help if someone gets arrested, I thought that was very cool of him. I meant to post it on here but got distracted adding up the math of what the federal recognition money would look like, and going on other websites like Bloomberg Business where they have an article on Hawaii and people were commenting. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-04/native-hawaiian-rights-plan-divisive-or-not-far-reaching-enough

        finding news articles that allows commenting is like a needle in a haystack but its worth it because others outside of Hawaii can get educated on the illegal and prolonged occupation. If I remember and find the other websites I will post it if anyone is interested.

        Now back to the fed money say the feds are giving $70,000,000 a year in federal recognition funds and there’s 500,000 Hawaiians that means each Hawaiian would should receive $140 ea. per year, not saying they will give the individual Hawaiians the money, just saying if one does the math its a joke.

        Mahalo Pomai for the link! looks like theres going to be a part 3 keep an eye out.

        Aloha

        • Aloha capt
          I love the way your sharing the aloha. Would of love to send uncle buzzy’s video to them.
          10 bucks a month that would be a joke. You know it wouldn’t reach us.
          I wonder what the back rent for a 121 years would be like?
          Glad to see the video is up on this website want to see if they have professor chang testimony too.
          capt
          Keep sharing the aloha

          a hui hou

  4. Aloha Luana, this also allowed Dr. Sai the oppurtunity to have Esther and the DOI submitt his letter to the Dept. of Justice and Office of Legal Council for a legal opinion on the HK status under international law.

    • Oh definitely, Kekoa. At this point, it seems like every step they take is right in a pile of you-know-what and more people start smelling the stink of it all.

      For those on the fed rec path who sincerely want the best for our lahui, I wonder if they’re scratching their heads trying to figure out why this fed rec path can’t shake the stink after all these years of big money and power trying to push us all down it.

  5. To maintain transparency, Kana’iolowalu should post their roll-list and have us have a look at it. They can post it in OHA’s Ka Wai Ola newspaper and we can check he names. Since they stole the names; that’s the least they can do and we can verify the list.

  6. E kala mai, but if I don’t put my name on the list how can I be heard to defend the kingdom. No one in the aha will give a flying **** what I got to say and all these pro American Hawaiians will just go ahead and sell us out to these occupiers. Please make me understand how by not putting my name on the list can help the Independent voice to be heard and defendant in the Aha. What am I missing here? Make me understand. I am for a “FREE HAWAII” and another question when are we going to stop using Aloha and start kicking ass. Enough Aloha already. “ SHOW ME THE PAPER.

    • A great Hawaiian philosopher said something like “If you don’t know where you come from and you don’t know your current situation then your dreams and aspirations could be your worst nightmare.”
      I would look at the intent of the aha and the participants. I would guess that a majority of the people attending do not COMPLETELY understand our true history, legal and political rights. A lot of the people are delusional, denying the truth despite being presented with factual information. Then there are those that believe that they can obtain change through this aha.
      I believe the intent is to create a governing document, a constitution. We currently have the lawful constitution of 1864, created by our ancestors, who had ancestral knowledge and meticulously studied other nation’s constitutions and histories. If you compare that to what could potentially be created at the proposed aha, to me it is a “no brainer”
      If you want to defend your kingdom, protest the aha with the other Hawaiians and don’t participate in a process that is attempting to erase the great kingdom our ancestors left for us.
      My 2 cents.

  7. Let me get this strength!
    1. The Hawaiian Kingdom Government was overthrow, by 30 or so foreign and Hawaiian “National” haoles or missionary raciest children and let me not forget those sell-out indigenous and hapa Hawaiians. If not for the support of the American Military and to my latest knowledge of Uncle Buzzy’s find “Dispatch 74” America deceived, conspired and was totally involved in the overthrow whereas would not have seceded otherwise.
    2. That this conspiracy and overthrow had been in the works since before the “Bayonet Constitution” rebellion.
    3. That in 1840 the Hawaiian Kingdom was recognized as an Independent State by the Family of Nations.
    4. After the overthrow, then United States President Grover Cleveland sent a Special Commissioner James Blount to investigate the “ Hawaiian Situation” and after three months the conclusion of the investigation was that if not for the illegal involvement by the U.S. military (Marines) from the battleship USS Boston this overthrow could and would not have been possible. And by their (US) involvement in this illegal act they broke international law.
    5. That twice there was an annexation petition was put to the U.S. Senate and failed.
    6. One cannot annex a country through a joint resolution.
    7. There is NO TREATY OF ANNEXATION!.
    8. So what do we do now, I am not an educated person, at 60 years old and the product of the educational system of the so called State of Hawaii, I totally understand our political situation if I am wrong please correct me. How much education on our political situation do we need? And what is the next step? is there really a country out there that will stand by the Kingdom of Hawaii or is it just all talk? I don’t want to hear from any King or Queen or Reinstated-Kingdom Government or wanna be Leaders. Too much talk tired of hearing about the a’ama crab syndrome. I am sick of hearing about we should be proud to be Americans and if not America then who, how about the country that still exist the Kingdom of Hawaii why can’t I just be a proud Hawaiian and belong to my own home land. Americans are proud to be American even with all their faults, there is no perfect Country out there on this fucked world we just so happen to live on. I grew up seeing the unjust and wrongs done to us I’ve been in the prisons State and Federal I have known Hawaiians that killed and was killed the good and bad the homeless and houseless the poor, sick and all the ills of being born, live and die in the (American Hawaii) that we only know. I am getting old and soon I will die and if lucky I will be remembered by my Ohana but if the life that I have known in my beautiful Hawaii is to continue being in anyway a part of America then even my family will forget me and what it is to be Hawaiian. They stole our country, they stole our language, they stole our pass and they have been trying to steal our future. America needs to de-occupy Hawaii now! And for those who wish to be America there is a lot of land in the East, have at it! Don’t give away our children’s future to have a homeland. IMUA!

    • I completely understand your frustration, dealing with the same questions myself. It is reassuring that YOU do know our legal and political situation.. I encourage you to share what you know with EVERYONE, family, friends, tourist.
      I think you, I and a multitude if others are a perfect example if why we should not rush forward. There are a lot of questions to be answered. We cannot change the past.
      The question I am wrestling with now is ” why is everything allowed to continue as if Hawaiians are insignificant, in their homeland, despite the irrefutable evidence.”
      I think what is emerging is we do not need to tolerate this. We can stop this, but we need to challenge the system, legally, wherever they violate International and Hawaiian Law. As you know, that is just about everywhere.
      Mahalo, for you manao. We need everyone’s, at least those that can acknowledge the truth.

    • You go! We are a long way from being able to becomeing an independat nation. But the snowball is rolling fast. The next step right now is to get everyone on that isn’t talking about Our Sovernty talking about it. EVERYONE… We need all Keiki o ka Aina… They need to weigh the pros and cons of what it would mean to be an indpendat nation. The need to know that this is their fight… They need to know its their culture thats on the line not the oldways kine stuf but what we do every day what we eat, what we buy, what we do, how we speak… that is cutlure… Get them all to know what it means to be self-determinate… are they tired of the health care issues… federal services issues… all of that would come home here to hawaii and we would decide on that… We would decied on what is acceptable use of the environment… How companies opperate in hawaii and what they can and cant do… Thats what it will mean to be a nation.

      • Yes! It is imperative for the non-Hawaiian local population to embrace sovereignty, and for that to happen it must be shown how it will be beneficial to them. Otherwise, they will just regard it a “a Hawaiian issue that doesn’t affect me.” Help people visualize positive alternatives to the existing order.

  8. I also understand your frustration. I am also 63ish and I have seen my family and friends beaten by a system that is not ours and defenseless to fight.

    I’m not a lawyer. But I have been a pro se litigant in state and federal court for the past 25 years trying to maintain my rights as a Hawaiian subject. I’ve been fined, incarcerated, denied trials, cases lingered for 1 year, 2 year. I have won some cases or dismissed some. But it only seems that now over the past 2 or 3 years there is a change in the manner of the judges, prosecutors and police officers.

    Just yesterday I was in court for riding my bike on the sidewalk in Waikiki. As ridiculous as it sounds its a $55 fine. In court my documents challenged jurisdiction based on Hawaii’s prolonged occupation. I even questioned the officer who cited me and he acknowledged he received and understood my legal position document, as a Hawaiian subject residing in the Hawaiian Kingdom currently occupied by the U.S. military. He understands he broke the law. The judge knew this.

    The Prosecutors did not dispute my issues with evidence and are accepted as the truth. The judge knew this too.

    The Judge made it clear to me that he was under oath to the state and federal constitution. I acknowledged him politely that I understand he is under oath to uphold treaties, executive orders, by the president, shall be the supreme law of the land and all judges bound thereby. The issues I’ve addressed with evidence are ‘grave breaches’ of international law and are grounds for dismissal.

    After all was said, the judge dismissed with prejudice, the case. In other words, the case cannot be brought up again.

    I don’t know the reason, but it seems his attitude was different. Or maybe the fact that occupation carries liability and at this time, two judges from Hawaii island have been summoned to the International Criminal Court in the Hague for war crimes, denying a fair and regular trial, which I was.

    pau

  9. Aloha Maltbie, glad to hear your case was dismissed. Just curious to see if you asked the judge for the findings of fact and conclusion of law for the dismissal? Don’t mean to get all up in your business so if you don’t want to answer it’s all good. I think these judges are begining to see the reality and consequences if they violate our rights under the Geneva Conventions. Guess they don’t want to reconvene their court as article two courts under necessity inorder to give you a fair in their attempt to prosecute.

    • Aloha Kekoa! No worries.

      There were no findings as the prosecution did not file any documents challenging me, therefore they acknowledged my allegations as true.

      And you’re right about the Art II court. I allege its priority in my doc but I didn’t push the issue at trial. I just don’t see the state asking the military to convene yet but with building liability it will happen.

      As I said the judge’s attitude was different. He actually helped me dismiss the case. No liability.

      aloha

  10. Aloha Maltbie, I am glad your case was dismissed although I have to disagree with you that the prosecution acknowledged your allegations as true because they did not file anything in the case.
    It appears to me that the prosecutor(s) cleverly gave the Judge and themselves a way out of committing a war crime without having to acknowledge or address your pleadings.

    If the prosecution did not file anything in your case then the judge had no choice but to dismiss. In their own rules, no petition or a defective petition filed in the record of the case means no judiciable issue is presented to the court through proper pleadings. This means the prosecution did not give the court subject matter jurisdiction and the Judge had an open door and had no choice but to dismiss on a procedural technicality.

    This way the Judge can dismiss in their own rules and not set precedent by dismissing your case based on your arguement of subject matter jurisdiction.

    Although, if they have to resort to this type of tactics to save themselves then you know something is definitely going on in their minds.

    Requesting for the Judge to give you the findings of facts and conclusion of law for why he dismissed would give you a better understanding of why he did what he did. This is a good tool to use for learning the specifics he used in your case.

    I am making these presumptions with the very little information I have on the specifics in your case but I have seen these tactics used by the prosecution in court before in 2 other cases.

    As far as the Article 2 court the State does not have to ask the military to intervene. The Judge under necessity can reconvene his own court into and article 2 court. I don’t see that happening quite yet because that would be an omission on record that his court does not have subject matter jurisdiction and set a precedent in his court. This would probably start happening sometime in the very near future as a survival tactic if the U.S. executive or the U.S.PACOM does not make the proclamation and the State Judges are getting hit by the ICC.

    I mean no disrespect by this post and I again congradulate you on your victory.

    I am making these presumptions with the very little information I have on the specifics in your case but I have seen these tactics used by the prosecution in court before in 2 other cases.

  11. No offense taken Kekoa!
    You seem to have a good working knowledge of the system and the games they play and it’s good to see you can visualize what outcome is possible.
    And I agree to the survival tactic, as you say, liability for me, as judges and lawyers get hit by ICC. Stay strong all of you!

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