On the recordApril 14, 2010
I am also pleased to support this resolution authorizing the use of the Emancipation Hall to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha of Hawaii. I think many of us have read all about this distinguished individual and the history, so it's altogether appropriate that the king, often known as Kamehameha the Great, is really, indeed, a legendary figure in Hawaiian culture and history and rightly so. He fought heroically for its unity and independence at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. His law or Rule of the Splintered Paddle protecting noncombatants during wartime has been heralded for its justness and established a human rights benchmark that would later be built upon in the Geneva Conventions. This June 11 will mark the 94th annual King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. His illustrious statue is part of the National Statutory Hall Collection. I urge all Members to go down and see it. It now sits in the Capitol Visitor Center, so it's visible to all, millions of Americans, as they come here to visit the Capitol. I thank the sponsor of this resolution, Congresswoman Hirono, and I thank the chairman for bringing it to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this great resolution.
