An Open Society, A Special Place

George R. Ariyoshi

Chances are that many people agree on where we've been, while considerably fewer agree on where we should go from here. Where once we in Hawaii enjoyed a relative state of cohesion, we now are more scattered.

In my many years in public life, I came to believe that society needs organizing concepts, or core concepts. The organizing concept of Hawaii 50 years ago came to be expressed in Gov. John A. Burns's theme: The Open Society. We know what that meant: Fair play. Tolerance. Equal opportunity.

During the time I served as his lieutenant governor, and when I became governor, the nature of our challenges shifted substantially. The first Earth Day observance was in 1970. The OPEC oil crisis was in 1972. The Vietnam War went on through many of those years, dividing us politically and emotionally. Native Hawaiians raised the issues of the overthrow, annexation and dispossession to new heights of intensity. We were caught up in a reaction to rapid growth and urbanization, and yet our desire for affluence and the good life was unabated.

Turmoil and dissension went on across the country, and many people pulled back into a state of reaction. We in Hawaii were different. We managed. We shaped. We talked with one another, sometimes when our views differed greatly. Rather than retreat, we generated new ideas. We stabilized the environment, which is why we have the clean air, clear water and clean beaches that we have today. We took control of our resources - land, water, diversified agriculture, the surrounding ocean waters, historic sites and cultural sites. We broadened our commitments to social justice.

I must have said it hundreds of times, but I believed it with all my heart each time: Hawaii is a special place.

Lately people bemoan the condition of leadership in Hawaii. People often ask me, "Why is it that we cannot act in the tradition of 1954 and the early statehood years?" To that, I say, "We can, and we must." Time does not stand still. Each period of history has its own possibilities, problems and challenges.

Today we are in danger of our natural resources being degraded or plundered under the cover of unregulated enterprise. The economics of physical development are racing forward, but the tempering effect of statewide planning is going by the board. We seem to be intoxicated with tax giveaways, threatening government's ability to grapple with such challenges as education and the environment. There seems to be less and less conscious attention paid to the future, yet everything we rationally know tells us that we must become more aware, more knowing and more genuinely knowledgeable. We need more conversation and less shouting. We need more thoughtful reflection and less ideological fervor. We need dialogue and core concepts.

The core concept of this column from its beginning has been sustainability: Special place. Preferred Future. Sustainability. To sustain the quality of our present life, we will need to be socially progressive and fiscally conservative. We will need to take care of ourselves, our families, our resources and one another. We need consistency and, yes, we need something more genuinely resembling a social consensus.

While it is true we cannot foresee the future, we can approach it with a general understanding of what we value and what we hope to accomplish. In that sense, we must renew our dialogue about the future. We must strive to consciously shape our future.

The past 50 years have been wonderful. The next 50 years can be equally so. Our tasks are apparent. We have a profound obligation to coming generations. We must leave our Islands better and more beautiful than we have known them.