David Horsey: "Our first Hawaiian president"

David Horsey (seattlepi.com):

So, what is it? What makes him Hawaiian?

Frank Briguglio, a literature teacher at 'Iolani, noted the two words that emblazon every brochure that lures the hordes of tourists to Waikiki: "Aloha Spirit." He said it may sound corny, but the Aloha Spirit is real. Frank grew up near Boston, so he has a means of comparison.

Aloha Spirit? Hawaii just seems to be a nicer place than most. Certainly, it's an imperfect paradise with plenty of the same problems and conflicts that afflict the mainland. But people here tend to deal with them with a more accommodating spirit. Seeking consensus is an ethic that survives from the traditional native culture. The old Hawaiians could be fierce warriors when the occasion arose (Hawaii's greatest hero, King Kamehameha, completed his conquest of the islands by driving his enemies off a cliff), but the preferred way of working out disputes was to find a solution that would please all parties. MORE...