Friday, January 3, 2014

Musings: Inside Out

The New Year was only hours old when Jimmy Trujillo, an activist and construction technology teacher at Kapaa High and KCC, posted a VOTE NO on KIUC fees graphic on his Facebook page. He added these exultant words: “the first cause of the new year!....”

Yeah! Get 'em!

Later, he posted this comment:

James Trujillo KIUC want to penalize folks who have concerns about their health and privacy. as a coop, we should all have a say. putting to a vote is great. spending our coop money in order to sway the vote is just wrong!elections should be fair, rates should be fair. anything else is NOT PONO. vote NO or don't vote at all!

Jimmy is the same guy who has been trying to make me stop saying anything that runs counter to what he considers the “progressive cause.” Now he's trying to make people stop voting unless they vote his way.

Gee, sounds like a great way to have civil discourse, rationally discuss the issues, reach a consensus, respect people with differing opinions on a complex issue, advance democracy.

This is exactly the same kind of mindset that I saw in many of the pro-2491 folks — you're either with us or against us; there's no middle ground, no correct or pono way of thinking other than our way of thinking. 

Those who dared to voice an opposing opinion were immediately told to STFU, attacked as evil and out of touch, and accused of being in the pay of chemical companies. 

Ironically, all that ugliness, intolerance and bullying was couched in rhetoric about peace and love, and adorned with Facebook hearts.

Just as Jimmy, who has labeled those who support smart meter opt-out fees as the “corporate faithful,” apparently sees no conflict between his actions and his first post of 2014:

to all my frenz & family, happy new year!
i wish you best of the best in 2014!
bee love & bee loved!
bee healthy & bee happy!
bee kind & bee loving!
bee caring & bee respectful!

My own wish for the New Year is this: 

May we all engage in a bit more insightful introspection this year before we try to change the world. Because the world out there is nothing more than a projection of what is inside all of us.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

SOUR GRAPES, JOAN. Betting you don't let this post to your blog.

Kauaifly

Anonymous said...

KIUC is just part of the anti-health movement. The County Council should outlaw all GMO foods, all non-organic veggies and all cattle, goat, pig, cheese products. All fish should be outlawed as well, as they contain mercury and massive pesticide residuals. Cellphones, computers, microwave ovens, cars and surfboards all share polluting chemicals or extreme violent radio waves. There is a giant conspiracy by MDs, surfers, corporations and wealthy land owners to corrupt our natural state.
The Bible started the anti-health movement when the APPLE was maligned.
Vote NO on the KIUC proposal. Be considerate and show you care for the real health purists.
It is reasonable for the many to subsidize the few.

Anonymous said...

Funny how supposedly "progressive" people are sounding more and more like Bush II and Cheney:

"Yer either with me or against me!"

I thought progressive is supposed to be about tolerance; about accepting differences?

Anonymous said...

Joan , your own wish for the new year is very poetic . I love it!

Jimmy is a good man, but may have went astray. It may be due to his association.

jonathan jay said...

Joan, you certainly make a great point about the way we see the outside world being merely a reflection of our inside thought.

May you have a thoughtful and constructive new year, and may your world be beautiful and creative, and blessed bee.

jonathan

Anonymous said...


“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
― C.G. Jung

Joan Conrow said...

Thank you, Jonathan, but that wasn't exactly my point. My point was not that we see the world as a reflection of our inside thought, but that we are actively creating the world we live in.

Anonymous said...

The failure of the Progressive Movement was in it's march to extremism and away from thoughtful support of people based issues. Like extremists do; they identified the "enemy" and overgeneralized it's responsibility for everything harmful. The extreme right wing marginalized itself by also castigating enemies the average person knows to be decent. Progressives have marginalized themselves by castigating all that's corporate or wealthy while the average person knows they are all part of corporations themselves to a greater or lesser degree, or have corporations to thank for a lifestyle envied by the world and/or have regular contact with decent people who also happen to be wealthier than they are.

Greenpeace is a good example of a movement gone extreme, or unthoughtful, in the same way. It started out great; but, during a 20 year failed campaign against chlorinated public water, that saves millions daily, their enemy became the big Chemical Companies. How could they possibly not take the European Organic Farming Conglomerates' $357 million annual donations and continue fighting the same enemy? They've also slipped into doing violent acts towards people and property.

Pete Antonson

Anonymous said...



"The epitome of the human realm
is to be stuck in a huge traffic
jam of discursive thought.
--Chogyam Trungpa

Anonymous said...

Same analogy could be made about the gay marriage legislation. Youʻre either with us or against us and if you say anything against youʻll be ostracized in the community.

Anonymous said...

You left out "ineffective", Jimmy Trujillo, an activist and construction technology teacher at Kapaa High and KCC.

Hi pidgin sucks!

aunt merri said...

would love for all reading to research EMF and health impacts therein....for kiuc to use OUR $ to sent out "vote Yes" postcards seems wrong.........

Anonymous said...

On Friday, Felicia Cowden said that the water department refused to give her information about how they are funding their projects. Really? The money for their projects comes from water rates, bonds and taxes. Here's a link to its budget: http://www.kauaiwater.org/BudgetFY2013.pdf
She should be banned by the FCC for spreading false information.

Anonymous said...

The FCC should check out KKCR for its political lobbying (smart meter, 2491) and failure to provide equal time.

Anonymous said...

I did not know that Mr Trujillo taught at Kapaa School. We need to inquire at Kapaa School to see and make sure Mr Trujillo is not promoting his activist political views in class or on the premises. Which would be a direct violation of DOE policy.

Teachers should be open minded and nonjudgmental, which Mr Trujillo possess neither. The DOE should investigate Trujillo actions.

Anonymous said...

How do you become a teacher at KCC with no credentials?

Anonymous said...

The NSA wants to ccontrol the people of Kauai through smart meters? I guess if you're going to dominate the world, may as well start small.

Anonymous said...

Joan,
Jimmy is disingenuousness personified. He was a full supporter of 2491 and would let guests on his KKCR program say things he knew to be false without challenging or correcting them at all.

2014.01.04-09:36,
None of the talk-show hosts on KKCR seem to have much use for fact-based discourse. Felicia is not alone. Ever listened to the Garden show? I don't understand how that station can claim to be broadcasting in the public interest. Are the KKCR finances - funding sources - public?

Anonymous said...

Joan,

Please find out who KKCR is be holding to. It sure ain't the public. The financials of a public radio station shouldn't be kept a secret?

Live Aloha !

Anonymous said...

Neither should the financials of our utility coop be secret.
How much did it cost them for printing and mailing full color postcards, Pandora radio ad slots, and newspaper and slots?
Can anyone tell me?

Anonymous said...

KCC is overrun with activists like this. Someone should really investigate how these activists without any qualifications are landing teaching or admin positions at KCC and why KCC is promoting all of this activist propaganda (like Don Huber for instance).