First let me confess, I am a supporter of the TMT. As an
engineer, I love challenging projects, and the advancement of science. There
will be long term benefits that we cannot imagine. As Ben Franklin said when he
was experimenting with electricity. He was asked what use it was. His answer
applies equally to the telescope. “Of what use is a newborn baby?”
The protesters make the telescope sound enormous, but it has
about the same relationship to Maunakea as the dot at the end of this sentence
to the full page of a newspaper.
What I cannot understand is the Universities reluctance to
give it a Hawaiian name.
I Suggested the King David Kalakaua telescope, but they will
probably name it after some obscure haole astronomer.
The original mauli Hawai’i
was as concerned about the stars as most cultures. They had a special haiau for observing the stars, luakini
and a specialist to interpret them, kahuna
kini. Is not an observatory the natural extension? King David Kalakau seemed to think so.
To not build the telescope at this point would be a crime
against the education of all humanity.
