Civic engagement emphasized during forum at UH West Oʻahu

 

Laws make a difference, and so can you.

That was the title of an event held on March 27^th at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu exploring how government in the United States is structured, how different laws impact the public, and highlighting the important role citizen participation plays in a democratic society. The event was organized by the Hawaiʻi Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education (PACE) and the Hawaiʻi Library Association.

It kicked off with State Law Librarian Jenny Silbiger discussing the three branches of government (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial), at the federal and state levels, which, functioning as designed, work in concert to provide checks and balances.  Ms. Silbiger highlighted one issue, same-sex marriage, to demonstrate how court decisions and legislation at the state and federal levels, as well as two constitutional amendments approved by Hawaiʻi voters, have impacted this issue.

Next, a panel of speakers composed of retired Judge Gary Chang, retired Judge Jeffrey Crabtree, and former State Senator Maile Shimabukuro fielded questions from the nearly 50 students and community members who attended the event in person and online.

When asked what any one person can do to make a difference, Chang said, “To me, one of the most important things that all of us can do is be educated. Understand what the threats are to our democracy. Put yourself in a position to make better choices on how you exercise your right to vote.

“I think the most significant threat to democracy is to disregard the rule of law. The rule of law is something that protects all of us against tyranny, and when someone or something begins to erode the strength of the rule of law that starts a downward decline of a democracy,” Chang added.

Crabtree told the crowd that reporting for jury duty is another way people can make a meaningful contribution to society. He said he met with hundreds of jurors while presiding over about 100 trials during his ten years on the bench.

“I guarantee you, out of all the jurors I’ve talked to, only one … one … in ten years said, ‘I am sorry I had to go through this.’ Every other juror I talked to said, ‘Once I got into it, once I realized the responsibility that we had to make an important decision about our community or about people in our community, we got into it. We leaned in. We worked hard. We did our best, and I am glad we did it,’” Crabtree said.

Shimabukuro, who served as a State Senator from 2010 to 2024, told the audience one of the easiest and most important ways to make a difference in society is to exercise the right to vote. She recalled winning her last election by just 40 votes. “Use that power that you have that is so important our country. Use that power to vote and you can make a huge difference in our elections,” Shimabukuro said.