Hawaii247.org

Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor

Malia Tanaka was one of four Konawaena High School students to earn a West Hawaii Bar Association scholarship earlier this month.

The West Hawaii Bar Association rewarded the graduating seniors for their essays on this year’s Law Day theme – “A Legacy of Liberty Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.”

Tanaka took the top prize of $1,000. She will attend Chapman University in Southern California in the fall to study political science and environmental law.

She said she drew inspiration from her social studies teachers, who helped make Lincoln her favorite president.

“So it wasn’t that hard to write about him,” Tanaka said. “We get his message.”

The essays were judged by Chief Justice Ronald Moon, Third Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra, West Hawaii Bar Association member and attorney Vicki Kalman, Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Mayor Billy Kenoi. 

A total of $2,500 was awarded in scholarships.

Here is Tanaka’s essay:

Two hundred years after Abraham Lincoln was born, he remains one of the most notable U.S. presidents of all time. His values, beliefs and legacy remain the foundation for the United States today.

WHen I think of “Honest Abe,” I think of that serious looking man with his tall hat and beard that we’ve all seen in pictures and I think of his famous Gettysburg Address. What also comes to my mind is a an who lived and governed by the true meaning of the U.S. Constitution, a man who rose from humble beginnings to become President of the United States and who led our nation during the Civil War. What I associate Abraham Lincoln with the most, however, is his contribution to the end of slavery, which changed our nation’s racial course forever. Today we all benefit from his efforts to unite our nation during a very dark time. If it were not for Abraham Lincoln, would Barack Obama be President of the United States today? Many others after Abraham Lincoln, like Dr. Martin Luther King, fought and continue to fight for equal rights for all, but in my mind, Abraham Lincoln was the first to turn our nation in a positive racial direction at a very critical time.

He stood for all of the values that make America  the great country that it is – honesty, courage, hope, hard work, and equal opportunity.

The Random House Webster’s College Dictionary defines “liberty” as “freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control”; “freedom from external or foreign rule; independence”; “freedom from control, interference, obligation, restrictions , etc.”; “freedom from captivity, confinement or physical restrain.” To me Abraham Lincoln’s legacy boils down to one word, “freedom,” and we are all able to enjoy the freedoms that we have today because of Abraham Lincoln.

So Happy Birthday to Abraham Lincoln and God Bless America!

Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor

Colette Masunaga was one of four Konawaena High School students to earn a West Hawaii Bar Association scholarship earlier this month.

Colette Masunaga

The West Hawaii Bar Association rewarded the graduating seniors for their essays on this year’s Law Day theme – “A Legacy of Liberty Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.”

Masunaga was awarded $750. She currently is studying in Thailand through the Rotary Club Exchange program. She expects to attend university in California in the fall and study the sciences.

The essays were judged by Chief Justice Ronald Moon, Third Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra, West Hawaii Bar Association member and attorney Vicki Kalman, Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Mayor Billy Kenoi. 

A total of $2,500 was awarded in scholarships.

Here is Masunaga’s essay:

Whether it be coincidence or fate, the bicentenial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln in 2009 has given the United States of America another life changing figure, President Barack Obama.

Lincoln always thought of himself first as a lawyer. For nearly twenty five years, he practiced law in the Illinois courts. Lincoln did not begin his career as a lawyer. Instead, he started off as a state legislature. Later on, fellow representatives encouraged him to pursue a career in the legal profession, and in the fall of 1836, Lincoln received his license to practice law.

Lincoln was driven by the need to serve the people, whether it is through politics, community service, jury duty, or working to improve conditions.

Abraham Lincoln was an inspiration to the American people not only because of his accomplishments as President, but because of his humble beginnings.

He was not born to a wealthy family nor did he receive a formal education. His formal education was about eight months! He was self-educated and an avid reader.

Creating a better America, and working for the people was what President Lincoln was to the people, and this is what President Obama is to the people now.

Abraham Lincoln is the man who freed the slaves two hundred years ago, and as we celebrate his bicentennial, we also witnessed the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African American elected president. 

In the summer of 2008, I was in Washington D.C., working at the Capitol. The Lincoln Memorial was one of my favorite places. The statue of Abraham Lincoln that sits ever so regal in his memory, is in the hearts of American people. He is one of the greatest Presidents and upheld the values of our founders of this country. Abraham Lincoln went to the Declaration of Independence was not just a piece of paper, but also the moral fabric that enables liberty to prevail in shaping our nation.

Hawaii247.org

Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor

Kolin Wong was one of four Konawaena High School students to earn a West Hawaii Bar Association scholarship earlier this month.

The West Hawaii Bar Association rewarded the graduating seniors for their essays on this year’s Law Day theme – “A Legacy of Liberty Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.”

Wong, who will study at Pacific University in Oregon, won $500 for his essay. 

“I was really inspired by my family history,” Wong said. “My grandparents moved to Hawaii to escape the Communist regime in China.” 

The essays were judged by Chief Justice Ronald Moon, Third Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra, West Hawaii Bar Association member and attorney Vicki Kalman, Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Mayor Billy Kenoi. 

A total of $2,500 was awarded in scholarships.

Here is Wong’s essay:

Everyone knows Abraham Lincoln. He was a tall man with big hands, big feet and the kindest heart. He was an avid reader who loved to laugh and tell funny stories. He was poor and had to work very hard on his family’s farm. I remember studying about Abraham Lincoln in kindergarten and being impressed with the fact that he would walk miles and miles to borrow a book because he loved to read. As the sixteenth president of the United States, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which gave slaves their freedom. I feel this was his greatest accomplishment and this is his legacy to America.

President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation has personally had a direct impact on my family. My paternal grandparents immigrated from mainland China. They set off on their journey  to America in hopes of living in a democracy where they could raise a family. My grandparents arrived in the United States speaking only Chinese and with the determination to succeed. Like Lincoln, they were poor and they had to work very hard. Eventually, they were able to open a little diner in Flagstaff, Arizona. Their five children all graduated from college and became professionals. Lincoln’s Legacy of Liberty has allowed my dad, my uncles and my aunt to compete, thrive and succeed in jobs regardless of their ethnicity. Because of President Lincoln believing in equality for all, my family and other families such as mine have had the opportunity to prosper.

I am thankful to live in America. I feel we are very fortunate to have had such a great leader as Abraham Lincoln whose wisdom and foresight still impact lives of  people today. As citizens of the United States of America, it is our responaibility to carry on this Legacy of Liberty for all.

Hawaii247.org

Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor

Dane Kim was one of four Konawaena High School students to earn a West Hawaii Bar Association scholarship earlier this month.

The West Hawaii Bar Association rewarded the graduating seniors for their essays on this year’s Law Day theme – “A Legacy of Liberty Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.”

Kim, who won $250 toward paying his way through Santa Monica College in California, said Lincoln is his favorite president.

“It really wasn’t difficult to link the idea of liberty to Lincoln,” Kim said.

The essays were judged by Chief Justice Ronald Moon, Third Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra, West Hawaii Bar Association member and attorney Vicki Kalman, Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and Mayor Billy Kenoi.

A total of $2,500 was awarded in scholarships.

Here is Kim’s essay:

Abraham Lincoln was a fearless leader who stood by his morals and did what he believed was right. While President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln accomplished many things. Lincoln was sworn in to office during a shaky time in American history, the Civil War. Although he had a heavy load on his shoulders, Lincoln still managed to do outstanding things. Two of his most notable accomplishments were ensuring victory over the Confederates and laying the foundation for the repeal of slavery.

Lincoln entered office at the beginning of the Civil War. Tensions were high throughout the United States because half of the people were siding with the Confederation and the other half were siding with the Union. When the first shots were fired on April, 1861 at Fort Sumter, Lincoln took immediate action sending detachments and ordering troops to protect and recapture all lost forts, as well defend the Capital. Although Lincoln is remembered as being a lawyer turned president, Lincoln did have a military background serving as a captain during the Black Hawk War. Because he already had a taste of military affairs, Lincoln was able to recognize and select top generals for the Union army including Ulysses S. Grant. Even though Lincoln was President he did lose his connection with the people and the soldiers who were putting their lives on the line. After the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the bloodiest battles in American history with between 46,000 to 51,000 casualties, Lincoln knew that his troops and the American people needed a boost in morale, and they needed something to inspire them to keep pressing forward. It was at that moment that he delivered his most famous speech, the Gettysburg address. In this moving and timeless speech, he spoke of human equality, change, a unified nation, and the hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Human equality was something that Lincoln vigorously fought for. He wanted everyone to be treated equally despite race or color. His desire for equality was his motivation to issue the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation was highly criticized because it only affected states that has seceded from the Union. Although Lincoln heard this criticism, he did not withdraw the order. Instead he stood firm and did what he believed in. This was the foundation from which all slavery was outlawed in the United States by the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.

Unfortunately Lincoln did not live to see the efets of his vision for the nation because he was assassinated on April 14, 1865. However, Lincoln set the groundwork for change and equality in the United States. Lincoln led our nation through perilous times, inspired millions of people and never wavered in the face of criticism and hardship. Instead he stood by his beliefs and followed through with what he truly felt was right.

Hawaii247.org

Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.org Contributing Editor

Judge Ronald Ibarra was sworn in for the third term Monday, May 4 as the Third Circuit Chief Judge.

Ronald T.Y. Moon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii, joined the West Hawaii Bar Association’s annual Law Day celebration to conduct the ceremony.

Ibarra, who presides over Civil Court and Drug Court in West Hawaii, will serve another 10 years as the judiciary leader on the Big Island – which comprises the Third Circuit.

“You in West Hawaii, and I truly mean this, are fortunate to have a leader and jurist like Judge Ibarra who is completely dedicated to the mission of the judiciary,” Moon said. 

A retention ceremony is not as big a deal as the initial appointment of a judge, Moon said, and typically are conducted in his office with just family members as witnesses. Ibarra, however, deserved the special recognition at Monday’s gathering of fellow judges, attorneys, judiciary staff, family and friends, he said.

He credited Ibarra with servicing in almost every capacity – family, drug, civil, district and circuit courts. 

Ibarra, 62, previously served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard, eventually retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He was joined at the ceremony by his wife Su, their daughter Susan, and son-in-law Neal.

As the judiciary’s mission has expanded from adjudicating cases to include prevention, rehabilitation and other areas, Ibarra has incorporated those responsibilities.

Moon said he is very concerned budget cuts in the next few years will narrow the focus of the judiciary.

“We’ll go back to our initial mission and that is what is right and what is wrong and that’s it,” Moon said, cutting out the many other benefits to society.

Moon also said he appreciated Ibarra’s length of service. 

“He is, I predict, going to break the record a longest serving judge in the state of Hawaii,” Moon said. 

(Editor’s note: Hawaii247.org has not yet confirmed the current holder of the state’s longest serving judge. Anyone know?)

Ibarra said he less focused on records and personal achievement and more focused on the people in his community.

“I see people coming back in a good way,” Ibarra said. “After I’ve sentenced them, they go on to live a law-abiding life. That’s really heartwarming to me.”

Among the biggest challenges Ibarra sees in the next decade are the social problems that come along with a growing population.

As more people from different cultures move to Hawaii, Ibarra said, “it’ll be the social issues. You will inevitably have disagreements.”

Kona attorney Bob Kim said he has great admiration for Ibarra.

“His commitment over the decades is just remarkable,” he said. “He’s the more senior judge in the entire state and with all his experience, we’re just very lucky to have him.”

Lani Ng also was recognized for her work as Ibarra’s clerk for nearly 20 years. She joked with overtime, she probably has worked for the judge for 25 years.

The West Hawaii Bar Association also handed out four scholarships to graduating seniors. All four students attend Konawaena High School and were rewarded for their essays on this year’s Law Day theme – “A Legacy of Liberty Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial.”

Hawaii247.org will be publishing each of the essays in coming days … Stay tuned.