[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 93 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KING KAMEHAMEHA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) for 5 minutes.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, today, in my home State of Hawaii, we are
celebrating King Kamehameha Day to honor the legacy of King Kamehameha
I, who established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810.
King Kamehameha knew that for a nation to be vibrant, its citizens
must feel safe and secure. He proclaimed the Kanawai Mamalahoe, the Law
of the Splintered Paddle, as the law of the land. This law, still
enshrined in the Hawaii State Constitution today, protects the
unalienable rights of all men and women to be safe and secure in their
home.
Kamehameha also knew that, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare
of his people, it was imperative to create economic opportunities. He
invested resources to maintain viable fish ponds and taro patches,
protect freshwater streams, fertile soils, and forestlands; he built
schools and trained an entire new generation of leaders.
As we observe Kamehameha Day, it is a true day of aloha for the
people of Hawaii. Those who are visiting the Capitol this week may have
seen the many fragrant and beautiful flower leis draped on the statue
of King Kamehameha in Emancipation Hall.
All this week, in Hawaii, across the State, there will be further
lei-draping ceremonies taking place to pay homage to the legacy of
Hawaii's first King.
As legislators, we are called upon to embody the servant leadership
and the humility of leaders like King Kamehameha I.
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