Re: ATM - Bad News for Hawaii Telescopes

["Richard Schwartz" <richas@earthlink.net>]

If they want to put a 400 inch telescope on MY land, they are welcome to do
so!   The price: I get 20% of the observing time, of course.   The Hawaiians
who "own the land" could negociate a similar deal... and if they can't use
the observing time, the L.A. Times article said that it goes for about $1
per second.  They would have a nice enough revenue source to hire some
janitors and grounds keepers to keep their holy places holy.   (I bet they
would hire their own family members, and the place wouldn't get cleaned up
at all.)

I am not attacking the native's beliefs.   I am questioning that they
actually believe such nonsense.  They may be using that spirit baloney to
get more money out of the telescope operators.   I will go out on a limb and
prophecize that the goddess that lives in the rocks up there will be
satisfied when more money is paid to her children.

. . . Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Lindner" <mikell@optonline.net>
To: "Richard Schwartz" <richas@earthlink.net>; <atm@shore.net>
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: ATM - Bad News for Hawaii Telescopes


>
>
> On Mon, 19 Mar 2001 12:02:39 -0800, Richard Schwartz said:
>
> > Sunday's Los Angeles Times had a front page piece on the Hawaii
telescopes.
>
> Rich, I'm surprised at you! Before we start attacking others' beliefs
because
> they are different, let me say that regardless of your religious (or
> scientific) beliefs the issue has more to it than religion. The original
> agreement with the natives WHO OWN THE LAND was to allow a certain number
(I
> believe 2) telescopes to be placed ON THEIR LAND. The scientists have far
> exceeded what they were graciously allowed to build, and want to build
more.
> Aside from the fact that they don't own the land, there are also issues
with
> them destroying the native envrionment, throwing garbage and generally
> polluting things with oil leaks and other nasties. Now, let's say they
wanted
> ot do that to your land.... The Times can put any spin on it they want to,
but
> as an astronomer I'm ashamed of astronomers who expect others to act
honorably,
> but do not do so themselves.
> --
> Mike Lindner
> http://home.att.net/~mikel
> http://www.starastronomy.org
>
>