Taking Action

Aloha people of Molokai, I had to instigate/speak up for Molokai about the American Safari Cruises boat cause it seemed as if no one else was. The week before the company made their first landing on Molokai, a test run to tie up, I happened to be at Ali’i fishpond and I passed my time talking with Uncle Merv Dudoit. He asked me if I heard about “the boat” coming. I had no idea what he was talking about so he told me and shared a letter with me from Teri Waros about the coming of a boat. That was my introduction to American Safari Cruises’ plans for Molokai. He also told me that the `Aha Ki`ole board members requested a community meeting of Teri Waros regarding this ship. He told me that “she said no need community meeting.” That raised my red flags high! 

To bring a ship that has any “scent” of cruise (one sleeps onboard) to Molokai is a no-no and the Molokai people that brought it knew so. No big boats on Molokai! Every island believes us to be the last. Let’s not be the last to submit.
 
Greed is the only thing that I can find that would cause the owner of one of the benefiting businesses, to tell me and I quote, “We (the businesses involved) tried to bring this ship in a few years ago and the community thought of it as a cruise ship and stopped it.  This time we decided not to tell the community!” Where’s the trust?  If the community members that assisted in facilitating this ships entry felt it was a good thing for Molokai, why was it not in the paper years ago in the planning phase? 
 
I spoke to a van load of the last passengers that came on this ship and they agreed with the sign I was holding “No cruise ships.” They had only been on the island for an hour and they could see and feel that cruise (type) ships do not belong here! Wake up and smell the truth!
 
Get up! Stand up! Stand up for her rights! Molokai needs us! Why change history? No big ships on Molokai ever! Fly in or take the ferry. This is Molokai!

Patricia Hammond (aka Patricia Chow, Sally Chow, Pat Masui, Patricia O’Neal)