“E Pluribus Unum” Tour Report
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
My family and I just returned from a two week trip to the mainland. This was a trip that we had been planning and saving for, for over two years. Although I should have been campaigning, this was an important event for me and my family, and family always comes first.
We called this the “E Pluribus Unum” tour. We started by catching the train (Amtrak) in Oakland to Chicago and then to DC. We spent five days in DC and then three days in Virginia, touring Mt. Vernon, Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg.
This was an important trip for us, because my wife and I wanted our children to understand that our Country is much more than what we see from an airplane and understand who we are as Americans. Traveling by train gave all of us an appreciation of our differences and what brings us together as Americans. Traveling on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, my children listened with pride to the Amtrak conductor announce to everyone on the train how Chinese immigrant labor helped build part of the railway and tunnels. It is one thing for us to read about that in our history books, but completely another to travel on those same rails.
Together, we witnessed the beauty and majesty of the Sierra-Nevada and the Rocky Mountain ranges. We traveled across the badlands of Nevada and Utah, through the plains of the mid-west and saw Chicago from the Sears Tower. We went through the rural eastern parts of the Country.
Thanks to Senator Akaka’s and Representative Hirono’s offices we were able to tour the Capitol, the White House, Arlington National Cemetery, the Holocaust Museum and other monuments. In all our tours, especially in the Capitol, we saw how Hawaii fits into our Union. Symbols like the statues of Kamehameha the Great and Father Damien, their placement in the Capital Rotunda, the misimpressions surrounding them, the struggle to give our King the proper respect, the honoring of fallen Astronaut Ellison Onizuka, to the recognition due our State in our Country’s symbols, it was clear that we are part of the Union but need to maintain a strong voice in our Nation’s Capital.
Every tour and monument made an impression on us. The words of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural speech inscribed on the walls of his memorial, reminded us of the sacrifices of our past and the future our Union holds for us today. The Vietnam Memorial with the names of citizens who gave their lives in that bitter war. The names of all kinds of Americans in black granite, not their ethnicity, not their religion, not their political party affiliation or “red’ or “blue” state. Later we visited Korean War Memorial, the World War II and FDR memorials. We were inspired by the symbols of liberty and freedom.
We then drove to Mt. Vernon to tour President Washington’s home, Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg. We saw how President Washington sacrificed in his own personal life while leading our revolutionary forces and how he resigned as General before he became President to show Americans and the world that this was a new country, founded on the principles of a constitutional, representative democracy.
In Jamestown, we saw the first permanent settlement of the English in America and how they struggled, the costly mistakes their leaders made and their relationship with Native Americans. In Colonial Williamsburg, we saw the colonial capital of Williamsburg and the reenactment of events at the beginning of the Revolution. We listened to Patrick Henry and the Royal Governor of Virginia. I even got to “boo” the Royal Governor and shout “Down with King George!” much to my family’s embarrassment.
In this trip we saw how great, expansive and diverse our country is. We saw where our country’s roots began, where our American principles took shape and the memorials reminding and reaffirming our founding principles and the sacrifice being paid each day by Americans for those principles. I can never forget the changing of the guard at Arlington, then passing by a woman, dressed in black, cradling in her arms our Country’s folded flag with her family around her and seeing several yards away, the Army ceremonial guard massing behind a flag draped coffin preparing for that soldier’s final trip.
I am running for State Senate, because I fundamentally believe that we, as Americans, have the best system of government in the world. It’s not perfect, but it is our responsibility as Americans, with each generation to try to make it so. With each generation, our government must change to meet the needs of our society. That belief is inscribed in Jefferson’s memorial.
What I see as better government is a State government that recognizes the fundamental liberty of the individual. Progress in this great nation and in this great State starts with the ideas and initiatives of the individual. The role of government should be to keep the playing field level, allow individuals to flourish and help improve our society, economy and government. Not to reward cronies, party operatives or special interests.
In 2008, the question for you is, "Will you stand by and let the forces of the status quo and the representatives of keeping things the same continue to dominate? Or will you stand up with me for a new direction and positive change in our state government?"
I would be honored by and need your help, support and vote. You can help my campaign by sending this email to someone you know who shares our common beliefs.
Thanks,
Ted
Posted on 04/01 at 10:09 PM [Link this article]