Should Hawaii be a Sanctuary State?

Hawaii the place I grew up in, the place where the majority of my family and friends live, to me it is home even though I live in Oregon. I was recently there for Christmas. I meet with friends and family. Showed my daughter some of the places that were special to me. Enjoyed the smell of the salty air and the warmth of the sun. I did all of these things and not once did it cross my mind that I should relocate back to Hawaii. Just now I realized how sad that I have no intention of returning home for good.

I left Hawaii to have a better future for my children. I left so I didn't have to work so hard which made life suck, wake up early, work job one, work job two, work job three, eat, sleep and repeat. I have been living away for over 18 years and the only thing I miss about Hawaii are my family and friends. I realized I didn't have time to go to the beach, go fishing, or diving while I was living in Hawaii. All I was worried about was how I was going to pay for this bill or that tax or even for food. It was a never-ending battle.

My life now is way better. I am not worried about the bills as much. (No I didn't win the lottery or get a large inheritance) I am able to make sure that my child is getting the best education and growing up better then I did. My life isn't all sunshine. I have been stricken with rheumatoid arthritis and can't work and I spend most of my time at home. An advantage for me to read and write and learn. I am blessed with a wife who is caring and understanding and I have children and grandchildren who bring joy to my life.

Now back to the topic at hand. Hawaii will be in greater trouble than it already is if it becomes a sanctuary state. Homeless people were already a problem when I left Hawaii in 2001. I could see how the problem on the Big Island had grown to make a place I use to play and party at becoming unusable to the people and unsafe for children. Some of the people rely heavily on the state for food, clothing and everyday items like soap. Though many organizations that help are funded by donations, people living in Hawaii pay a premium price for everything.

Inviting lawbreakers into Hawaii is a seriously bad idea. Illegal Aliens who do not care about the laws of our sovereignty may continue to break other laws to get what they want. What about all of the other people who are on a waiting list to legally immigrate to America, how do they feel about illegal aliens jumping to the head of the line. Where will all of the money come from to pay for the social services that are needed? The list of needed tax revenue to support a sanctuary state will bankrupt some families in Hawaii. Hawaii has yet to take care of it's dying Hawaiian Natives, myself included. My family property was stolen from my ancestors by the American Government in 1896. Not to mention all of the other natives who lived and owned property in Hawaii.

I realize that I probably will never see any reparations from the US Government, people on the wait list for Hawaiian Homes Lands will continue to die waiting, and I will never be a member of the board of directors of Kamehameha Schools. (Catholic Joke) What I can say for certain is that Hawaii can not allow itself to become a sanctuary state for the people who live there. It is already difficult for the working class in Hawaii to make a living adding on the needed tax revenue will cause more people, like me, to give up on living in the place they grew up in and cause all of the mana of the aina to leave.