In Hawaii, the aloha spirit inspires constitutional interpretation. Among other things, the spirit of aloha clashes with a federally-mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities. [Watch]
Where have we heard that before?
Say, does this mean we get to throw Maizie Hirono into a volcano for eating with the men?
[Via Jess]
“A virgin is a young girl in the third grade, but she is very very ugly.” — W. C. Fields
Or she looks like Maizie Hirono.
If they had these pre-existing issues with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, they should have stayed a territory as did Puerto Rico or gone for independence as did the Philippines.
But once they signed the paperwork on statehood, the “die was cast.” The Constitution and United States Code do not constitute a smorgasbord from which one can pick and choose which parts one will obey and which parts one will ignore.
Agreed. If they have decided the “spirit of aloha” takes precedence over the Constitution they voluntarily signed onto supporting and defending, they can always petition Congress to let them leave the Union.
However, given that:
– Hawai’i as a state consumes double in federal expenditures what it provides in federal taxes, and
– Tourism is their biggest income generator (second is military infrastructure, a.k.a. more federal spending), and
– Many of the locals already treat visitors like hot garbage, and
– Being their own country would require passports and visas to visit, and
– So many of their citizens are on federal entitlement benefits (which they would no longer receive if Hawai’i left the Union)*, and …
They should really think twice about whether they want to let the nebulous “spirit of aloha” rule over the clear directives of the Constitution.
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* – The best rule-of-thumb for people considering relocating to Hawai’i and wondering if they could afford to live there was this: Double your expenses, and reduce your income by 2/3 — if you’re still above water, you should be okay. IOW, not even the locals can afford to live there. My understanding is that a shocking number — disproportionately native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders — are technically homeless, couch-hopping or living out of their vehicles.
Mr. DDS
Tell that to the democratic party. It has long picked and chose what parts of the Constitution it wants to adhere to.
I would love to, but fortunately or unfortunately, that power belongs to someone well above my pay grade. The guy who lives in that public housing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in DC has been known to make noises about cutting off the allowance of certain sanctuary cities that defy immigration laws. Maybe he’s the guy we need to have involved.