Culture Clash

* “Science, Culture Clash Over Sacred Mountain” (March 18) presents the dispute over telescopes on Mauna Kea as between astronomers and Hawaiians. I think it would be more accurate to say it is between rationality and a few activists who try to invest themselves with the mantle of ancient Hawaiian religions in order to inflate their political power. Whether some place is “sacred” is completely arbitrary. Unlike being a habitat of an endangered species or a place of scenic beauty, “sacred” means nothing more than somebody saying so. This is a ridiculous basis for any land-use policy.

The opponents of more telescopes on Mauna Kea base their claims on ancient Hawaiian religions. Do they believe these religions? Do they practice the human sacrifice and other rituals of this religion? No! They pick and choose and make a dishonest appeal to Hawaiian pride--a pride that should rest in their seamanship, sports, art and in hosting the world’s greatest observatories, not in superstitions that no one really believes.

BRENT MEEKER

Camarillo

*

Your otherwise good article on the Mauna Kea controversy did not discuss the self-righteous disdain that modern science has toward animism: It’s clear to any thinking person (not caught up in defensive self-denial) that this disdain necessarily underlies astronomy institutions’ lack of respect for Kanaka Maoli (as indigenous Hawaiians are properly called) concerns.

DAVID GOLDSMITH

Keaau, Hawaii