Every once in a while the Legislature produces something really ugly.
For example, in one of the low points of the recent legislative session, the House of Representatives passed HR196, “Commending the Church of Scientoogy for its humanitarian work and community service around the globe.”
“Commending” and “Scientology” are not words that belong together, in my humble opinion. There’s just far too much evidence to the contrary.
Primary sponsors of the reso were Rida Cabanilla and Mele Carrol, with Reps Cachola, Choy, Luke, and Ward signing on as co-introducers. It apparently passed without comment or a negative vote from any member of the House.
Apparently none of them have seen Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright’s book, “Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief,” or read any of the many recent reviews, like the one appearing in the NY Times back in January (“Eyes Wide Shut“), or any of the past investigative reports reaching similar conclusions.
Wright’s book…makes clear that Scientology is like no church on Earth (or, in all probability, Venus or Mars either). The closest institutional parallel would be the Communist Party in its heyday: the ruthless struggles for power, the show trials and forced confessions (often false); the paranoia (often justified); the determination to control its members’ lives completely (the key difference, you will recall, between authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, according to the onetime American ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick); the maintenance of something close to prison camps where dissenters, would-be defectors and power-struggle rivals were incarcerated in deplorable conditions for years and punished if they tried to escape; what the book describes as mysterious deaths and disappearances; and so on. Except that while the American Communist Party, including a few naïve Hollywood types, merely turned a blind eye to events happening in faraway Russia, Scientology — if Wright is to be believed, and I think he is — ran, and maybe still runs, a shadow totalitarian empire here in the United States, financed in part by huge contributions by Tom Cruise and others of the Hollywood aristocracy.
There’s a radically understated interview with Wright by Christiane Amanpour available online, which gives a bit more of the flavor of what we’re talking about here.
Okay, this was one of those honorary resolutions, a political gesture, backing up a certificate awarded on the floor of the House to Scientology representatives, and votes for it were largely a courtesy to its sponsors.
But, in a case like this, I don’t think that’s any excuse.
What were our representatives thinking?
According to the House Journal for March 14, 2013:
Representative Brower lauded the eight dynamics and principles of the Church of Scientology and reaffirmed his belief that we are spiritual beings.
Representative Say commended the Church of Scientology on their booklet, The Way to Happiness, containing 21 precepts about how to live a happy life, which has helped bring peace to areas of turmoil.
Representative Ward thanked and commended the Church of Scientology for their work in providing disaster relief to devastated areas around the world.
Representatives McKelvey and Mizuno had the good sense, or good luck, to be elsewhere when the vote was taken.
Some responsible adult at the capitol should have taken the sponsors aside and explained why this resolution was a very bad idea, and simply pulled the plug on it. Instead, it ends up putting most legislators on record praising Scientology and gives this Legislature a black eye.
What an embarrassment.
Discover more from i L i n d
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I don’t know anything about Scientology, but can anyone comment as to whether these sorts of religion-related honorary resolutions are commonplace? It strikes me as fundamentally inappropriate – regardless of the religion the legislature is honoring.
What a mess. Did they also salute the Mafia? This session clearly hit rock bottom.
The whole reso thing is a waste of time and tax money. Do we really need to have sister city status with East Podunk ? Resos have no teeth and usually are ways for politicos to curry favor with constituents mostly under the radar. Session would be shorter without them- and less time spent among the sleaze is better.
Amen! It is indeed embarrassing, and shame on the reso supporters for their ignorance.
Agree with Ian, 100 percent.
Bad move. Uninformed lawmakers.
“What were our representatives thinking? ”
Well, as it relates to Cabanilla or Carroll, there’s not too much thinking going on in either of those noggins at any time. And remember Ward drooled all over Dog Chapman only to have him, within weeks, soil himself by calling his son’s girlfriend the “N” word. Cachola and Choy are social conservatives, both Catholic, so maybe they like hierarchical “religious” power structures.
Luke? I have NO idea how to explain her signature. Unless it’s a small (harmless?) gesture to members of the the Say faction
They really should not have declared May 7th as the official “Xenu Day” in Honolulu. That was going too far.
Reading 21 Ways to Happiness..expanding on the Ten Commandments..was my perception. People are easily scammed when insecure! Christine Amanipour, is not a journalist that I respect after reading her reports on the Israel/ Palestine issue..biased! However Wrights articles are disturbing.
Christiane Amanpour is a brilliant, ballsy, absolutely fearless journalist, one of the best there is or has ever been. She doesn’t kowtow to popular mood swings on the issues, which makes her less popular among people who can’t think critically.
GOOD story Ian. I hope the regular media picks up on this and runs with it.
If a few lawmakers get stung by this story maybe resolutions and proclamations won’t be handed out like candy anymore.
Who the hell voted in FAVOR of this? Because we have to start right now insuring they are not re-elected. Bad enough to mix Religion and Government (ever heard of the 1st amendment?) but this nasty cult? Are these people associated with it? Or are they just clueless idiots?
Well you may have a big job ahead of you. As far as I can determine this resolution was passed unanimously by all present (2 excused). So, the entire house needs to be sent packing. To be fair however, I get the feeling that since resolutions do not have the force of law, most legislators don’t pay much attention or consider the implications. Such as the “church” of Scientology now being able to say that they have a stamp of approval from the Hawaii legislature.
Contrary to popular belief, resolutions have as much force of law as any other legislative act. The important thing is what they say after all the preliminary stuff.
OK, let me se if I understand. Are you telling me that a resolution which needs only to pass one body, House or Senate, and need not be signed buy the Governor becomes the law of the land? So the House could pass a resolution for example: Whereas smoking is hazardous to your health, Be it resolved that smoking is prohibited everywhere in the State of Hawaii. Then everyone would have to throw away their cigarettes?
The only resos that have the force of law are those on submerged lands.
The other resos are just that: resos. So if a reso calls on a department to do a study, they probably will do it but they may not.
There are a few other resos with force (referring new regulatory proposals to the Auditor for Sunrise Review, for approval of sale of certain lands, etc.). But generally speaking, they do NOT have the force and effect of law, do not mean squat (beyond expressing the “sense of thje Legislature” in the case of COncurrent Resos), and are routinely ignored by entities “urged, “encouraged,” or “requested” to do X, Y, or Z.
My understanding of the resos directing the Auditor to do something is that the Audor may still decline. The lege doesn’t appropriate enough money to the Auditor’s office for her to do all the work they reso her to do.
I always thought it was the concurrent resolutions that carry some clout….
That’s incorrect, Lopaka.
If you look at the legislative history of the reso, it’s clear that this reso was the result of a floor presentation.
I’ve never heard of legislators voting no on floor presentation resos which are perfunctory. That’s even true of the Dog Chapman reso.
My hunch is if this reso went the normal route; that is, went through committee hearings, that it would have encountered some opposition.
Surprised this wasn’t called the Tom Cruise resolution.
So the only resos with the force of law are on submerged lands. What about submerged brains?) Any way we can get this toothpaste back in the tube? Lest they run worldwide with Hawaii’s “blessing”–or all come as tourists…
I am with Ian on this one. Disgusting. The legislature attains a new “high” among its many low points.