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Is Hawaii our 50th state? Join us for part 2 of our series, “Strangling Hands Upon a Nation’s Throat,” as we discuss how our understanding of this question underwent a total transformation while spending time in Hawaii with our guest, Lynette Cruz. We arrived assuming the Aloha state was our 50th, only to spend an evening with Lynette to learn that what we’ve believed all our lives about the state of Hawaii could not be further from the truth. We took part that evening in a reenactment of an 1897 meeting of Hawaiian residents who were part of a massive movement to oppose the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii by the United States. The dramatization is inspired by a journalist who witnessed the meeting and wrote an article in the San Francisco Call newspaper titled, “Strangling Hands Upon a Nation’s Throat.” In this episode, we discuss the impact of that evening, the question of sovereignty, the unique power of the aloha spirit and the profound gift Hawaii has to offer the world. As protests at Mauna Kea continue to mount, Lynette shares with us the underlying reason for their efforts. If America is to be a beacon of freedom and liberty, deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed, we believe it is time to take a serious look at the situation in Hawaii.