Father Damien came to Hawai’i on March 19, 1864. Knowing full well the dangers of leprosy, he still asked to be assigned to minister to the lepers on Molokai.
Father Damien arrived at Kalaupapa on May 10, 1873. For years he worked among the lepers, until he himself contracted the disease and died on April 15, 1889. By any measure, Father Damien was a Hawaiian hero.
But not according to the Akaka Bill. Since Father Damien was from Belgium, the Akaka Bill would not consider him “Hawaiian.†Despite all of his works, and all of his sacrifice for the most needy people of the Kingdom of Hawai’i, the Akaka Bill would tell Father Damien he could not be a part of the new “Hawaiian†Government.
He Hawai’i au; he mau Hawai’i kakou a pau. I am Hawaiian; we are all Hawaiians.
He Hawaii au - Not enough (1) - MP3 (1.4 MiB, 5,912 hits)
