Man fights to take license test in Hawaiian

Although Hawaiian is recognized as one of the state’s official languages, there is no law mandating its use.  I can sympathize with this man if he wishes to draw attention to the injustices suffered by Native Hawaiians when the monarchy was overthrown back in 1893.  But, we live in the "real" world where, for good or ill, the monarchy and its institutions have been largely supplanted by English.  The reality is that English is the basic lingua franca used for nearly everything, from traffic signs to court proceedings in the state of Hawaii.  The monarchy is gone.  We must live in the present.  Seeking to restore the glories of the past is futile.  If this man wants to reinstate what once was, he should petition the state Legislature to change the laws governing the issuance of licenses.  That process shouldn’t be too difficult.  If this man thinks he faces language discrimintation in Hawaii, just let him visit non-English speaking Europe and Asia.  Eventhough English translations are common in many areas, I found a knowledge of Japanese, French, and German very helpful during my travels in the Air Force.  I think this man has made his point…now, get on with living in the 21st century.  Reality isn’t always just, right, and pleasant.  You adjust to reality or you die.  Yes, it’s that simple.  Aloha, Russ.