Bill Text: HI HCR135 | 2011 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating to the "Spirit of Aloha"
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-04-21 - (S) The committee on HMS deferred the measure. [HCR135 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2011-HCR135-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
135 |
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TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
PROPOSED |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
URGING all people of the State of Hawaii to eliminate the "N" word from their vocabulary.
WHEREAS, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary notes that the "N" word "now ranks as perhaps the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English"; and
WHEREAS, the first documented written use of the word was in 1786, when the "N" word was a term slave masters used to refer to their African slaves; and
WHEREAS, while the use of the "N" word by and among African Americans is not always intended or taken as offensive, it is often a word expressive of racial hatred and bigotry; and
WHEREAS, the use of the "N" word by anyone disrespects the efforts of people of African descent who faced severe bigotry and bravely fought to break down barriers that attempted to hold them back, improved their standing in life by marching in protest and resolved to be respected as equals, and set inspirational examples in pride and purpose; and
WHEREAS, the recent proliferation of the use of the "N" word in the entertainment business through music, film, and print is undercutting the hard-won progress made by men and women who risked so much to ensure a better life for the generations of African Americans who followed them; and
WHEREAS, numerous high-profile incidents involving the use of the "N" word by notable celebrities have elicited condemnation from the larger society; and
WHEREAS, there have been public movements against the use of the "N" word such as a New York City Council Resolution, which calls for a symbolic halt on the use of the "N" word in New York City; and
WHEREAS, every effort to remove the "N" word from our vocabulary, especially from that of our youth, must be taken seriously, as the use of this word signals deeper problems in our society, including a complete disrespect for our fellow human beings; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that all people of the State of Hawaii are urged to eliminate the "N" word from their vocabulary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that educational activities in our schools be initiated by the department of education in our public schools to teach our children what the original people labeled with the "N" word went through and their struggle to overcome bigotry; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's children be taught the responsibility they carry to uphold high standards of conduct and respect for every person in our society; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a general boycott from the purchasing of any product which uses the "N" word in any form be heavily promoted and practiced by wholesalers, retailers, and consumers throughout the state; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Education, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – Hawaii Chapter, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, and President of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.
Halting the use of the "N" Word
