The Palace grounds, directly in front of the King Street steps, is where there was a huge celebration of the inauguration of the new State's Governor Quinn and Lieutenant Governor Kealoha on Saturday August 29, 1959; and where the first meeting of the new State's House of Representatives was held outdoors in public on Monday August 31.

But on August 14, 2008 the Honolulu Advertiser reported that the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission has refused to endorse the concept of a celebration, and has instead carefully chosen the word "commemoration." Are we not proud that Hawaii is the 50th state?

Do we really want to disrespect our Statehood by using the same word "commemorate" which we also use when we annually remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor? Should it be a day of grief and mourning?

Minutes of the meetings of the Statehood Commission reveal that the members have chosen to "commemorate" rather than celebrate, and have chosen not to have any commemorative events on Palace grounds -- out of fear of offending some (but not most) ethnic Hawaiians and fear of disruptive protests from Hawaiian sovereignty activists.

The Honolulu Advertiser news report (8/14/08) quotes a scurrilous lie told by the director of the Palace who is also the head of the Statehood Commission, as follows (or perhaps reporter Gordon Pang is guilty of falsely reporting what Mr. Chu said):

"Kippen de Alba Chu, the 50th Anniversary commission's director and executive director of Friends of 'Iolani Palace, has made it clear that no 50th anniversary activities will take place at 'Iolani Palace because none took place there in 1959."

Talk about historical revisionism! Talk about political correctness run amok! No Statehood activities took place at Iolani Palace in 1959? Where, exactly, do Mr. Chu and the Honolulu Advertiser think the transition to Statehood took place? Where do they think the huge celebrations occurred?

Because of that scurrilous lie I decided it is important to set the record straight. I reviewed newspaper reports from August 1959. I re-typed the contents of the most important reports (especially from the Advertiser!), made copies of some of the photographs showing activities at the Palace, and have placed those materials on a webpage at http://tinyurl.com/4ja77m

That webpage also includes reminders about the way the Palace has been used in recent years as a propaganda factory for historical revisionism and as a place for secessionist, anti-American Hawaiian sovereignty rallies. Palace management has been an accomplice in helping the sovereignty activists to treat the Palace as the capitol of a still-living independent nation of Hawaii.

Because of Palace management's complicity in the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, one rogue "King" and one rogue "Queen" felt emboldened to take over Palace grounds in 2008 and temporarily refuse admittance to anyone lacking Hawaiian native blood.

Prolonged coddling and appeasement toward the secessionist movement for many years was responsible for encouraging rogue takeovers of the Palace and numerous large anti-American rallies there. Such coddling and appeasement are once again being seen in the way the 50th anniversary commission is refusing to allow the use of Palace grounds for commemorative events, and refusing to use the word "celebrate" in connection with the Golden Jubilee of Hawaii Statehood. The long-term consequences of such attitudes are described in the book "Hawaiian Apartheid: Racial Separatism and Ethnic Nationalism in the Aloha State"; see: http://tinyurl.com/2a9fqa

The U.S. flag flew proudly over the Palace for 70 years, from annexation in 1898 until the completion of the new State Capitol building in 1968. Since then the U.S. flag has never flown there except for one month following the terrorist attack of September 11 2001; and there was such an outcry from the sovereignty activists that Palace director Alice Guild felt compelled to apologize for it.

The claim that the U.S. flag does not fly because of a desire for historical authenticity for a museum portraying the Kalakaua dynasty is pure baloney -- if historical authenticity is so important, then Palace management had better rip out the air conditioning system that reportedly costs millions of dollars to install, repair, and pay electricity for.

In testimony to the Department of Land and Natural Resources regarding its proposed new rules for the use of Palace grounds, I wrote that anyone who does not subscribe to the following statements should not be allowed to exercise authority over the Palace or grounds, nor to serve as a director, manager, or docent.

Hawaii is legitimately the 50th State of the United States. Hawaii is not under a prolonged and continuing belligerent military occupation by the U.S. The monarchy came to an end in 1893, and there are no longer Kings, Queens, or Princes in Hawaii. 'Iolani Palace belongs to the State of Hawaii, DLNR, Division of Parks -- the Palace is owned by all the people of Hawaii without preference for racial distinction or claims of indigeneity. The Palace is a museum; it is not the capitol of a still-living independent nation.

I call upon Palace management, and the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Statehood, and to do so with ceremonies and re-enactments at Iolani Palace consistent with the actual events of 1959. Stop the historical revisionism and the appeasement of secessionists.

Dr. Conklin's recent book "Hawaiian Apartheid: Racial Separatism and Ethnic Nationalism in the Aloha State" is featured at http://tinyurl.com/2a9fqa Send email to mailto:Ken_Conklin@yahoo.com

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