Aug
18
Now who’s playing the Palace?
Filed Under Sunrise on KGMB9
All hail Kimo Akahi, some guy from Maui who says he’s king.
I bow before his hubris.
Akahi and his merry band of monarchists forcibly entered Iolani Palace on Statehood Day, intending to put King Kimo on the throne, literally, and chain him to it to prolong his reign. The cabal was thwarted by their inability to find the throne.
Apparently they neglected to conduct a reconnaissance mission by taking a guided tour of the palace, although the tour is very informative and really quite reasonable.
I thought everybody had toured Iolani Palace. Even I know where the throne is. But I’ve never had cause to use the information, my part-Hawaiian daughter Leina’ala not having laid any claim to the throne, though she looks quite regal and would be a benign and loving ruler except when vexed.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but is it possible that this is a hoax and Akahi is really a sovereignty opponent? He’s made a mockery of previous demonstrations, which have sometimes been quite dignified despite high emotions. This is the first time, for example, that someone has roughed up one of the ladies who help to preserve the Palace.
And he’s reminded everybody that there are several claimants to the throne, some of whom have offered more specific details on their lineage than this fellow has. (He does have a notebook that might have this information in it.)
European monarchies also have been known to have rival aspirants to thrones, but not all European ideas are good. Glockenspiels, Gaulloises and the guillotine come to mind.
One interesting aspect of this affair is that while King Kimo was trying to arrogate more power to himself than certain other royalists would assign to him, the chief of police was taking care to have as little power as possible.
A police sergeant who was on hand for the forcible entry made rather a show of not doing anything, helpfully explaining to Noelani Ah Yuen while she was getting bruised by the guys pushing the gate that the Palace was out of his jurisdiction. This, despite the fact that the authorities who do have jurisdiction expressly requested help. That, based on news accounts, is why he was there.
If the people with jurisdiction had been given a helpful explanation in advance — “We’ll keep the peace outside the gate, but once they’re inside the gate it’s your problem” — they could have arranged for real protection, possibly from some of the rival claimants to the throne. They seemed to have very civilized tough guys with them last time.
It’s premature to criticize the sergeant, though. He may have been acting under orders. Defense lawyers, tell me: would his failure to barge in behind the alleged miscreants give you an argument in a future “hot pursuit” case where a suspect crosses into another jurisdiction? I’m just asking. The reason for thinking that the decision was made above the sergeant’s pay grade is that Iolani Palace officials got the same brush-off from 911.
Also, the police chief made a rather strange statement in which he said both that he has ordered an internal review and that what his people did was appropriate. It’s as if he already knows the results of the review. Governor Lingle made a remark about the chief having previously alluded to jurisdictional issues at Iolani Palace. Surely this doesn’t mean he told his officers not respond to a call for help. Does it?
If I were a Honolulu police officer, I would not be happy to know that someone in management has invited the populous to think up jurisdictional reasons not to heed my lawful orders when I’m trying to do my job.
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Howard, I’m not quite sure whether to laugh or get upset. I will laugh at your astute interpretation of the situation and also at the poor king who couldn’t find the throne. Duh!
I will get upset over the lady who got hurt, however. Some benevolent king…pshaw!
I’m sure the real Kings are looking down and smacking their foreheads…”What the heck is wrong with that dude!!!”
The police officer is another matter. I’m still fuming over the police officer who told my husband not to pursue a robbery. He said, “You want to come home and find your boat on da bottom? My father was a police officer. I respect the good ones. But there’s something wrong here…just sayin’…