Mathias Maas

Joined Kanu Hawaii:
Hometown:
Nov 08, 2007
Manoa, Hawaii
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Kanu - A place for all, or just some?


Mar 24, 2009




A recent commitment was added to Kanu: "I will fight against civil unions."

My understanding for this website that I joined was that we were making public commitments so that we could be held accountable, and be seen as people trying to create a pono future for those that follow. Does this commitment achieve something that makes this land healthier, makes me healthier, or plants the seeds for a healthier future? I would say no.

I find this commitment and the language used to support this commitment very hostile towards me and homosexuals in general, but then I wonder if there are other commitments on here that are offensive to other people? Should such commitments exist here? When discussing this over dinner my friend thought it was a boon that discussions were not functioning at this time, because it might have been Kanu's first flame-war. I would hope that the people working and participating on this site would not let that happen.

I wish the writer of this commitment would breathe in this webspace a little bit, before asserting himself. I look forward to seeing his other commitments (ones not written by himself), and to see where we do fall in line. I also look forward to the chance to discuss this intensely divisive issue with him, if he would like.

What do you think?

Comments (1)

Mar 25, 2009
James Koshiba said...
Mathias,
You are right that Kanu is about making personal commitments to change that we’re willing to be held accountable for. Commitments are not intended to be a way for us to make statements about what we think others should do, but rather declarations of how we will challenge ourselves to change. By that standard, this commitment misses the mark. But then, so do many other commitments on the site. This probably reflects our (the organizers’) failure to make expectations clear, rather than poor judgment by authors of commitments that strike a moralizing tone.
More importantly, this commitment and your comment highlight a different part of Kanu’s core purpose. Yes, Kanu is about personal change, but it’s also about trying to build (some would say re-build) deep community. Though we may agree on many important things and share many values, our island community is disintegrating before our eyes. It is being eroded by dog-eat-dog individualism, greed, and social divisions. At times, a single issue can divide us, dissolving any common ground we have and turning each other into enemies. Be it rail, or climate change, or GMO crops -- we are quick to draw up sides and renounce community today. Building a community that can withstand this type of debate, and maintain its common ground, is an important part of what Kanu strives toward.
That said, this particular debate is a little different – it presents the toughest kind of challenge to our community ideal. When the debate is about something sacred or personal, tied to our sense of justice and morality, tied to our identity – it is a tall order to sit, discuss, and search for a reason to stay in community with those we disagree with. I wouldn’t blame anyone, on either side of this issue, who felt that they could not remain as part of a group in the face of a disagreement so fundamental. Some will no doubt choose to leave the Kanu community over this issue.
Still, I hope some of us – perhaps most of us – will take on the work of sticking together even with disagreement. And, I’m encouraged by how we’ve begun. Your comment, for instance, is full of questions – honest questions that invite discussion. This, in itself, is a courageous statement of community.
I might add one more question, perhaps one we can all ask when writing a comment, commitment, or post – How does this express island values of compassion, sustainability, and self-reliance? We should explore this question on both sides of the civil union issue. If we can frame the conversation in this way, I think we stand a better chance of hearing each other, if not persuading each other of what is right.
One correction: There is a space for discussion on this issue, attached to the blog post highlighting the civil unions bill: http://www.kanuhawaii.org/campaigns/details/blog/entry/?id=3&bid=1237421820536578. I encourage you to post your thoughts and (especially) your questions there, and hope that anyone who responds does so with the openness and respect that are hallmarks of the community we’re trying to create.

Aloha,
James

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