 Aloha, Stan Osserman here. I'm one of the hosts on Think Tech Hawaii. And earlier this week, I was invited to be a guest on Ian Davidson's show. And we wanted to talk a little bit about things that we don't normally talk about. So we talked a little bit about politics. And we focused on the Constitution. And I got a question this morning from one of the folks that watched the presentation. And they had a question that kind of brought it home for Hawaii. So I responded via email. And I also courtesy copied Jay Fidel, who runs Think Tech Hawaii and Ian, so that they know what my response was. And Jay asked me to actually do this response on air. So we're going to do that. And what I'm going to do is I'm just going to read the question. And then I'll read my response and let you folks know what our response was back from Think Tech. So it says, Aloha, Stan. My name is Kahali. I saw your show on Think Tech Hawaii. And I'm curious on what your mana'u is on the fact that the US has no treaty with Hawaii that transfers the sovereignty of Hawaii to the US. Which means that Hawaii is not part of the US. And the US military has been occupying Hawaii since 1898. And that the US Constitution does not apply in Hawaii. Aloha, Kahali'i. And she signed her last name, but I don't want to put her last name on here. And so here's my reply. It's a little longer than your question. But Kahali, as you undoubtedly understand, the issue is much more complex than most include in the discussion. And I'm not as well read on the complex history from both sides, the Hawaiian side and the US government side, as I need to be to really express a legal opinion and a legal perspective. I was very young, but I did win the statehood from the steps of Ilani Palace. And it was a celebration, not a dirge. It wasn't a big crying session. There were a lot of very happy people when Hawaii became a state. And I will say that history is full of examples where when one power overcame another power and cultures and laws changed, they changed for the vanquished and even for the victor oftentimes. And if I can use a couple examples, even in the Bible, that may give you an idea of where my head is at. You have the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. And Eve eats the forbidden fruit from the tree that she's been told not to eat from. And as a result, Adam and all of mankind for all of the future is cut off from direct communication with God. So why do I, Stan Osterman, have to suffer in 2020 or 2617 for what Eve did thousands and thousands of years ago? And as a monitoring example, would be nuclear weapons. I didn't invent the hydrogen bomb. Yet I live every day under the threat that someone in ISIS or Iran or North Korea or China or Russia can use that weapon against us in the United States. Right here in Hawaii, it's a real threat. And it's not fair that I have to live under that threat. But it is what it is. And I need to make my way the best I can through a world that is full of unfairness. What was done to Hawaiian civilization was unfair, not only the overthrow of the monarchy and the colonial business tycoons greed as they hijacked the laws that were in place. But even the diseases that were brought by people visiting Hawaii for the first time when Hawaiians had no immunity. It's all unfair. And I find life itself to be quite unfair. But this nation, as far as I can tell, holds off the best hope for giving everyone a fair shot at freedom. Even the Hawaiian monarchy had its drawbacks. And we seem to forget that a kapu could cost you your life for a single mistake with no trial by peers. As I said in the show, many, many laws have been written. But very few have been tested against the US Constitution. And I doubt we'll ever see legal justice for what became of the Hawaiian monarchy and its culture. But I also believe that the people trying to take us back to the good old days, no matter how good their intentions, will ever turn back the history of Hawaii. And that the best that any of us can do is make the system that we have as fair as it can be and take the best of Hawaiian culture and the best of the US Constitution and make Hawaii an example that others want to follow. Even that goal, as attainable as I wish it were, is a monumental task. Given the forces in the world that have brought mankind some of the most horrifying and inhumanity that anyone could even imagine. I've seen communism from inside their walls. And it's not a worker's paradise, unless you like slavery and you think it's liberating. I've seen benevolent monarchies turn into totalitarian torture camps. And I'm thankful that at least so far, America has fought through its literal slavery and tries to keep tyranny at bay and tries to give everyone a chance to reach their full potential. But even in our system, things can be very unfair. And in short, you live in one of the best systems of governance that has ever existed to offer freedom and protection to individuals. If we could all heed the advice of one Hawaiian monarch, the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Not only would Hawaii be a better place, but the USA would be a better country. So that's my two cents from Staten Energy Mount, aloha.