Pahoa Woodland Center Protest

[csgray]

I based my post on Scott's own language. The fact that he said "Two things caught my eye" and "all the protesters I saw" not "protesters I talked to and asked where they were from" certainly implied that he drove by and drew conclusions. If he had said "I stopped by the protest" or "when I talked to the protesters I learned they were all from New Jersey" then I would not have posted a response. Instead Scott used language about his observation of the protesters, not his interaction with them, and made assumptions about them based on their skin color: they were young and white, so they must be new arrivals, and thus are part of the problem and have no right to voice their opinion.

Everyone has the right to their opinions (even pale skinned new or long term residents) and if they want to hang out and wave signs long after the opportunity to do anything constructive about the issue has passed, that is their right under both the US and Hawaiian constitutions. And Scott has the same right to voice his opinion about their tactics, their ideas, or their effectiveness. But don't expect to make sweeping generalizations based on casual observation of those you disagree with and not expect to get called on it.

Carol