Political Quotes

“Mr. President, last weekend, we gathered in the Capitol Visitor Center to celebrate the 283rd birthday of King Kamehameha I, who, to the best of our knowledge, was born in Kohala, HI, in 1735. Since 1871, generations of Hawaiians have formally celebrated King Kamehameha's birthday through annual celebrations--including floral parades and lei-draping ceremonies. Kamehameha Day is celebrated across the State and is an acknowledged State holiday. These events recognize the many accomplishments of Hawaii's first King and his importance in unifying the Hawaiian Islands. This year was no different, as this past weekend tens of thousands of individuals gathered in Washington, DC, and Hawaii to remember his legacy and celebrate his accomplishments. However, this year's ceremonies came at another important time of reflection. On February 17, 2018, Gov. David Ige proclaimed 2018 to be the ``Year of the Hawaiian, Ke Au Hawaii'' in Hawaii. The Governor's proclamation came after the Hawaii State Legislature made a similar proclamation for the year. So as we gathered to remember King Kamehameha, we also reflected more broadly on the achievements and contributions of Hawaii's indigenous, Native Hawaiian community in the areas of politics and government, education and the arts, music, writing and literature, sports, business, medicine, law, and social work.…”