Question for Brian

Someplace just to show that reel collectors do have a life
Post Reply
RAM
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2350
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:21 am

Question for Brian

Post by RAM »

The British flag as part of the official Hawaii flag puzzles me. Said to be because of "Hawaii's friendship with Great Britian". So? Why Great Britian? Why not other Polynesian nations? Why not New Zealand or Australia? Why any country?

After all, Hawaiians did kill Capt. Cook on his third voyage there. Some friendship, although he may have deserved same. Nevertheless, it still seems like an inappropriate thing to have on a flag-the national emblem of a foreign nation. Don't take this as the start of any kind of movement to get it removed, however. Also was not involved in getting the Confederate flag off of Georgia's or South Carolina's flag either, although that seemed like a sensible thing to do. Just curious.
Bad Bob
User avatar
john elder
Star Board Poster
Posts: 8668
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm

Post by john elder »

Oh, I get it...this is like a "Where's Waldo" to find the spelling error...I found it first...twice :D

Deke
User avatar
Brian F.
Star Board Poster
Posts: 3577
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:23 am
Location: Hilo, Hawaii

Post by Brian F. »

At a point in the revolving door of politic "friends" that make up the history of these tiny little islands, King Kamehameha I considered the Hawaiian Kingdom as a British Protectorate. With so many different countries wanting a piece of these volcanic rocks and being present either in some diplomatic capacity or simply sheer number (my ancestors), the US and Great Britain were the biggest. Believe it or not, the Russians at one time also had a fort here in the heart of Downtown Honolulu. The King commissioned his own flag in the 1810s and some say it is a composite of the US and English flags so as to make everybody happy. Push came to shove along the way and I am now a collector of Pflueger reels instead of Hardy and Alvey reels.

As to why Great Britain and Hawaii remained "friends" after Capt. Cook, I can only speculate they shook hands and made up when Kamehameha I became the new ruler.
Last edited by Brian F. on Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
RAM
Ultra Board Poster
Posts: 2350
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:21 am

Post by RAM »

Thanks for the clarification Brian. Thought it was King K I who came up with the idea. Hey! Who's dumb enough to argue with the King?

Okay Deke-You're the winner. So Brittian DOES have 2 Ts!
Bad Bob

PS: Mississippi, not SC, has (had) the Confederate flag on their state flag. SC has a palmetto tree and a new moon (or is it an old moon?) on theirs. It was the Confederate flag flying over the state capitol, Columbia SC, that caused the problem as I recall.
Post Reply