Candidate John Leslie answers question about GMO

John Leslie, candidate for Dean of University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), gave a presentation on January 31, 2012. CTARH is involved in controversy over funding from Monsanto and their attitude toward GMO crops.

I live streamed the presentation and during the Q and A session asked about GMOs. I excerpt that here:

Here is an incredibly valuable transcription of this that Michael Broady, Jr. just up and decided to do on his own. Mahalo nui loa!:

DOUG: My name is H. Doug Matsuoka. I'm not part of the University, I'm part of the community. There's been some controversy recently both at the University and within the community about CTAHR's involvement with GMO's and GMO funding. What is your experience with GMO's or biotechnology? What is your plan for Hawaii if you get here? 

JOHN LESLIE: The use of biotechnology as a research tool is here and it's not going away. There is little doubt that people are going to be doing that kind of research to get answers to a lot of questions. We may debate whether that's a question we want to be asking, for example with the new revelations last week [about the] pandemic flu that's been recreated by using molecular biology type techniques. But in general I think the research is going to be here and it's going to stay.  

Monsanto and Hawaii -- a University of Hawaii panel discussion

Kamuela Enos and Walter Ritte at the Center for Hawaiian Studies panel discussion on Monsanto, 18 January 2012

There was a full house at last night's (1/18/2012) panel discussion at the University of Hawaii's Center for Hawaiian Studies. What's Monsanto (and the GMO biotechnology industry) up to, and what strategies do we have to oppose their plan of world domination? Professor Jonathan Osorio moderated the panel consisting of Trisha Kehaulani Watson, Walter Ritte, and Kamuela Enos.

I tried livestreaming, but the University wifi apparently blocks the streaming IP or port, and was stuck with AT&T bandwidth, which sucks. I managed to livestream Trisha Kehaulani Watson's presentation, but then had to switch to recording on my iPhone, then editing and posting to Youtube. I am collecting the bits in order here.

[videos below]

Occupy History: Occupying (De)Occupy Honolulu, the Overthrow, and the illegal occupation of Hawaiʻi

The corner of Ward and Beretania fronting Thomas Square in the early morning of December 30, 2011, right after Honolulu Police cleared the encampment from the park area arresting two, and destroying what remained of the encampment.

It struck me as a no brainer when the suggestion came up that Occupy Honolulu should support Sovereign Sunday events commemorating the overthrow of Hawaiʻi and the beginning of the illegal military occupation of Hawaiʻi by the US. The Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) community has gathered at Iolani Palace on the Sunday nearest the January 17 anniversary for years, and it's right down the street from the Thomas Square encampment of Occupy Honolulu. 

That the greed of the financial elite knows no bounds when it comes to the exploitation of people and places is a theme that has been emblazoned across the globe by the Occupy Movement. And it was as true here in Hawaiʻi a century ago as it is on Wall Street today. 

But then, not everyone is familiar with that day in 1893, when a group of rich, foreign "businessmen" with the help of a contingent of U.S. Marines began the illegal military occupation of Hawaiʻi. I don't know if they teach it in school nowdays but they certainly didn't when I was going to school so many years ago. When I try relating it to friends from the continent (I'm not calling it the "mainland"), the story is so bizarre they think it's a weird science fiction fantasy or some kind of chemically induced delusion. 

I also suspect many people here in Hawaiʻi may not be familiar with the history of the Occupy Wall Street movement or understand what the deal is with the "Occupy"-word, especially since the term has such a bad connotation here in Hawaiʻi.

So I decided to jot a brief history of both here. I don't expect this to be the definitive or final word on the subjects so please chime in with corrections and additions. And questions too.