I keep abreast of the Ewa Beach Little League team throughout mainland competitions, and I believe Hollywood could not have created a better scenario.
This Sunday, August 29, 2005, was a proud day for all the 50th State. The team of 11-and-12-year-old boys from Ewa Beach stepped up to the plate with 3 runs down in the 6th inning and tied the
game and then went on with a home run in the 7th and final inning to win it making us all proud to be from Ewa Beach and Hawaii.
It was not only a great
day for Hawaii but also for the United States. These kids proved to all that
we should not be judged by who our ancestors are or what our bloodline is
we are all Americans and can achieve whatever we work towards. The
chanting of USA, USA, in the stands wasn’t shouted down by red shirts
holding upside down Hawaiian flags and chanting “we aren’t Americans”.
ABC Sportscaster Harold Reynolds observed the players from different
countries of the world participating in the series were racially alike.
Reynolds remarked, “The thing I love about it, we have kids from all over the world. We have kids from Saudi Arabia represented, from Russia represented, and the kids from Hawaii aren’t native Hawaiians, and that’s what you love about seeing that.”
As he noticed the team from Ewa Beach,
Hawaii consisted of all races.
By the way, our Governor, Linda Lingle, was conspicuously
absent during all of the Little League games.
Maybe she is too busy
packing for her trip to Washington, D.C. to lobby for the Akaka Bill that
will prevent Hawaii from ever achieving a win like this again without
mention of which race each kid was representing.
This win will be part of Hawaii’s history, just as Hawaii’s connection to the “father of baseball” Alexander Carwright, is a part of history. Carwright was a close friend of Kamehemeha IV, who helped found Queens Hospital, Honolulu
Library and Reading Room, and the Honolulu Fire Department. His name is remembered with “Cartwright Street” and “Cartwright Baseball Field.”
”’Earl Arakaki is a proud resident of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the home of the Little League World Series Champions, and can be reached via email at”’ mailto:arakakie003@hawaii.rr.com