The White Rose
Why call yourself “White Rose?”
In 1942 during the oppressive Nazi regime, there were a group of students who felt that it was absolutely necessary to stand up and fight back. These students chose leaflet writing as their method of communication. Their first leaflet, “The White Rose,” startled the students and faculty of the University of Munich campus. Stating that the Nazi system had imprisoned the German people, the White Rose called upon the Germans to resist the tyranny of their government.
If these students could risk their life to resist against their government, we felt that it would be impossible to not resist against the tyranny of our own government. Whether it is the oppression of the First Nation tribes throughout the world, or the illegal occupation of the United States in the sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii, it is our imperative to resist against the participation in the system of oppression.
Of course, this brings up more questions. Why should a punk rock band occupy itself with these matters? Shouldn’t you just leave it alone?
And our answer is thus. No. We cannot stand idly by and watch the destruction of the Kanaka Maoli in Hawaii. We cannot sit and passively watch the systematic decimation of a culture and a Kingdom and its people. Our songs are our leaflets. They are a cry for the people to stop the annihilation of the `aina. Our songs are a plea for food for the homeless, people who are hungry in a land that can feed all of its people, if not for the sugar plantations and the subsequent plantation politics. We hope to be part of a solution, we hope to be a catalyst, and we hope to be part of a new Hawaii.
And, we will not be silent.
In 1942 during the oppressive Nazi regime, there were a group of students who felt that it was absolutely necessary to stand up and fight back. These students chose leaflet writing as their method of communication. Their first leaflet, “The White Rose,” startled the students and faculty of the University of Munich campus. Stating that the Nazi system had imprisoned the German people, the White Rose called upon the Germans to resist the tyranny of their government.
If these students could risk their life to resist against their government, we felt that it would be impossible to not resist against the tyranny of our own government. Whether it is the oppression of the First Nation tribes throughout the world, or the illegal occupation of the United States in the sovereign Kingdom of Hawaii, it is our imperative to resist against the participation in the system of oppression.
Of course, this brings up more questions. Why should a punk rock band occupy itself with these matters? Shouldn’t you just leave it alone?
And our answer is thus. No. We cannot stand idly by and watch the destruction of the Kanaka Maoli in Hawaii. We cannot sit and passively watch the systematic decimation of a culture and a Kingdom and its people. Our songs are our leaflets. They are a cry for the people to stop the annihilation of the `aina. Our songs are a plea for food for the homeless, people who are hungry in a land that can feed all of its people, if not for the sugar plantations and the subsequent plantation politics. We hope to be part of a solution, we hope to be a catalyst, and we hope to be part of a new Hawaii.
And, we will not be silent.
