P R O F E SS O R A N N A U M A NC H A I R M A N

S C H O O L O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N SU N I V E R S I T Y O F H AWA I ‘ I AT M Ā N O A

When does race, ethnicity or culture become the story?

Do reader comments count?

Nov. 5, 2011; McDonald’s

Waikiki; Christopher

Deedy fatally shoots Kollin Elderts.

The incident

Readers write their own story

Readers immediately conclude that the outsider, the agent, is to blame.

 “…We have lost another son. We are all kua‘aina,

people who want to live in the country with our country way… if we throw the ‘book’ at the agent, we will be seen as prejudiced. If he gets off, then we will have a bigger crisis. Massey (sic) all over again.” Kauikalea, Nov. 6, 2011, 4:04 a.m. (Refers to the Massie case in 1933 in which a white man went free after murdering a Hawaiian man.)

Who’s perspective? Race-colored glasses

“Most people who grew up here have race-colored glasses — as I do.” eros_et_logia, Nov. 6, 2011, 9:53 a.m.

“…c’mon us locals see this all the time, local boys trying to bang up on the mainlanders or the white guys.” Mikilai, Nov. 7, 2011: 8:35 a.m.

The haole

One source’s quote, “The (expletive) haole wen’ kill Kollin,” triggered this comment:

“…real classy victims friends using them racial slurs. Just like in the olden days at middle school as I remember the yearly: ‘kill haole’ day…guess its still going on in our public school system.” pocho, Nov. 7, 2011. (haole is a foreigner; has come to mean white outsider.)

Census 2010: Hawai‘i(Percentages)

Asian 46 %Whites 23Other (mixed) 21.2Native Hawaiian; Other Pacific Islander

7.4Black or African American:

2.08American Indian; Alaska Native

.06

“Race” becomes a story 7 months after the murder.

Race as a factor in jury selection

Reader comments ignored by judges

The “most critical publicity” involving racial issues didn’t arise until 6 months after Deedy was arraigned.

Racial issues “must have been clear early in the case.”

“Prattle” from attorneys about racial issues doesn’t justify moving the case, federal judge says.

Who started it?: The context

Local vs outsider was a persistent theme in reader comments;

What led to the altercation?Elderts’ “racist” language? (Open to

interpretation)Deedy’s aggressive behavior?

Is the story about race relations?

Deedy’s claim: Elderts used haole in a derogatory way and overreacted.

Primed by another agent that locals are hostile toward outsiders.

Elderts was just joking around;Elderts was harassing customers and was on

drugs and alcohol.

Kupaaiwialoha wrote: No crime committee, drunk federal officer

kills innocent local. Sounds like war crime to me! This has been happening for over 100 years on these islands. He’ll get off free like they all have. Aug. 9, 2013

sailfish1 wrote: The word "haole" has many meanings

depending on how it is used. Facial expressions and tone make a difference as does who is using it and to whom. Those who say it is not derogatory are not as informed as they think. July 30, 2013, 10:48 a.m.

Nalogirl wrote:I see many local guys do this often, make all

big body, be loud and rude thinking that they are being funny, when everyone else is just trying not to make eye contact with them. Aug. 7, 2013

Control wrote:Deedy did not receive proper training on

local customs and so he reacted the way a “mainlander” would react, not knowing that it would cause more of a problem. Aug. 7, 2103, 9:39 a.m.

Control wrote:I don’t like these trials. It continues to give

everyone else the opinion that all locals are hotheads egging on others with racial tones, no matter what the verdict, it does not give everyone a good opinion of Hawaii. Aug. 2, 2013.

Hung jury: 8 to acquit; 4 to convict

Your lens: Where do you stand?

As a readerAs a participant in the conversationAs a journalist