by Andrew Walden (November, 2007)
Here are some updates since Malia Zimmerman’s Nov. 7 2007 article, "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Felons in the Hawaii Superferry Fiasco" In which she described an article by Jim Albertini suggesting that some anti-Superferry protesters might lose their lives trying to block the ferry.
From Charles Memminger’s Nov. 11 column in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:
“After reading the alarming tract, I wanted to know whether Albertini -- who went to prison for a year (many years ago) for trying to block a Navy vessel in Hilo Harbor -- will be putting his life and/or freedom on the line along with the novice activists he is counseling.
“The answer? No. Not only is Albertini not going to protest the Superferry, he claims he didn’t even know his “non-violent” call to arms was even published.
“In an e-mail Albertini sent me, he said:
“'I’m not sure what’s in the Surfer’s Path magazine. I haven’t read it. ... I suspect it is a piece mainly drafted by attorney Lanny Sinkin with a few suggestions from me basically cautioning people who may be considering blocking the Superferry in the water."
"I do not plan on going to Kauai or Maui for protests."
“So there you go, kids. You’re on your own.”
Speaking to Memminger, Albertini claims ignorance and rats out his comrade Lanny Sinkin.
Maybe this November 8 report from KGMB explains why:
“The letter caught the FBI’s attention. ‘The FBI in collaboration with its partners over at the United States Coast Guard will investigate any threats to the Superferry operation,’ said special agent Brandon Simpson.”
See it here: http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/1603/40
But an exchange of emails between Kona based blogger Aaron Stene and Jim Albertini shows that Albertini knew all about the http://www.Surferspath.com article four days earlier.
Stene emails to Albertini Nov. 7: “I think it was extremely despicable that you are advocating violent protests against HSF via above mentioned manifesto. If you are really for peace you should be trying to defuse more violence, not incite it.”
Albertini responded: “I never advocate violence. My intent was to voice caution and get people to reflect deeply before non-violent action.”
Stene retorted November 8: “I think it was extremely despicable that you are advocating violent protests against HSF via above mentioned manifesto. If you are really for peace you should be trying to defuse more violence, not incite it. Overall it really burns me up that you wrote this. I really hope you can sleep well at night. When people will be actually reading this terrorist manifesto and acting upon it.”
See it here: http://thekonablog.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/more-on-surfers-path-article
If that wasn’t enough, Memminger got a boatload of emails complaining about a line in his Nov. 11 column where he pointed out: “Granted, if a lot of the (anti-Superferry) protesters go to prison, the overall IQ on Kauai will go up dramatically.”
Explained Memminger; “I haven't been disappointed in the flood of choreographed hate mail I've received from the thin-skinned pseudo-intellectuals and self-appointed protectors of that island's honor, who predictably chose not only to ignore my exceedingly cogent point, but the fact that it was a really funny line.”
Memminger published some of the responses two days later in a column titled, “Intelligentsia defend Kauai’s IQ”
• Kauai Anti-Superferry leader John Tyler Cragg sniffed, “I’d simply like to point out that my IQ was rated at 135 and I have a master’s degree and graduated from UCLA. I don’t know what your educational background is, but making such a comment as a columnist for your paper does a major disservice.”
• Karlos deTreaux, the host of a political radio show, said “Your quote about the average IQ on Kauai going up if protesters were to be arrested was mocking and childish. ... To say that the intelligence level of the protesters is substandard is certainly going to come back to haunt you. I hope to be part of that haunting.”
• Joan Conrow took time from reporting on the Hawaii Superferry story for the ‘Tiser to warn me against making insulting statements that “portray Kauai in a negative light” and “display your ignorance.” She adds helpfully, “Next time stick to the superficial stuff you know, like mayonnaise.”
Funniest of all, the anti-Superferry ‘geniuses’ apparently have no idea how brittle their arrogance appears. They now proudly display Memminger’s November 13 column on their Boycott Hawaii Superferry News website.
The website masthead reads: “This is a place to view news pertaining to the operation of the Superferry in Hawai’ian (SIC) waters, and to announce rallies and events to bring true kuleana (SIC) to Superferry from a broad base (SIC) grass-roots movement.”
That one sentence alone could be considered an act of torture and thus may entitle the author to another sentence -- at the Alcatraz School of Grammar. Alcatraz, by the way, is located on an island—served by a ferry.
Memminger writes:
“For some reason, many of the writers told me how smart they were, what their IQ was and how many degrees they had. And, in doing so, they inadvertently made my point: Anyone dumb enough to risk going to federal prison for 10 years for protesting a mode of interisland transportation is, well, dumb.
“My point was that the sophisticated and ‘smart’ activists, like Jim Albertini and attorney Lanny Sinkin (and presumably Mssrs. Tyler and deTreaux), would not be the ones going to prison. Albertini wrote me himself saying he had no plans to take part in Kauai protests that could result in 10-year prison terms. The point was that only protesters too dumb to understand today’s federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines and the fact that there is no longer federal parole -- those guys would be going to prison.”
See it here: http://boycottsuperferry.blogspot.com/2007/11/intelligentsia-defend-kauais-iq.html