Independence means wrestling away ‘ways of the King,’ and freedom to speak out and bring change for the better across our civil society. The Kingdom of Hawaii did not discriminate, but did favor those who were financially the best off. Politics in Hawaii, now, is no different — the route of the rail was determined by donors. The ones who need rail most with the biggest jams in Ewa are out of the loop. Empty fields are more important.

However, independence means that I can speak out, say words that have meaning to those left out. I do not fear the plantation, but instead can make my stand. Principles are the equalizer for all of us. Any of us ‘out of line’ ought fear, lest we be pointed out and ‘put in line’ regardless of being penniless or wealthiest. Some of us have the call to make marked points as to where power is used to stifle no-names, people of no concern.

My cousin wrote laws in the Philippine books that were supposed to protect women and children from sexual harassment, trafficking, rape. However, sometimes power can be used to circumvent laws, as when numerous lawmakers from Hawaii wrote letters of support to remove a convicted child molester in Philippine court, from Philippine prison. Power from our most powerful lawmaker in Hawaii, was used to get him out of prison.

And independence truly means that I may maintain my independent thought and thoroughly criticize this act of biased barbarity. The convicted child molester had prominently figured in advancing political agendas; he was extremely useful to the party. And so when he needed help, the most powerful person of the most powerful party in Hawaii, wrote a letter to get him out of the prison; he was in there for child molestation.

We here, of the United States of America, bear the task of the Founding Fathers, to stand on the principles they decided. The separation of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches was intended to make divisions in power that no one rule over. There is no King. The King is gone. However, in Hawaii, we have what we call a ‘Kingmaker,’ and not only that, a little person ‘no-name’ squasher. The King lives strong.

Of course, there are those within the King’s court and favor, who receive all the trimmings. And just as the nursery rhyme story of the King with no clothes, they cannot see him doing one thing wrong — money keeps pouring in, and money — the mulcher of principle, blinds everyone to everything that he has done behind closed doors.

We, who are not bought off, are empowered through the Independence declared on July 4, 1776. I glory in this birth of nation, the United States of America that gave me the right to speak my mind, especially when principles of the Founding Fathers are trampled by a man who would be King. The vote, their final gift, is the eternal equalizer.