Eric Hafner is from Mountain View on the Big Island. He’s one of four challengers trying to unseat U.S. Congressional Representative Tulsi Gabbard, D–2nd District. Though Hafner is running as a Republican, many of his views, as you’ll see below, clearly lean libertarian…
MAUITIME: What is your top priority if elected?
ERIC HAFNER: My top priority is to end the illegal U.S. Occupation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and to lead the establishment of an independent social democracy in Hawaii. Once the colonial occupation is ended and the imperialists are out of Hawaii, we can have the highest living standard in the world with free healthcare, education, housing, public transportation, and medical cannabis for all Hawaii citizens. Through a worker-owned cooperative and Native Hawaiian-operated tourism industry model, the people of an independent Hawaii can own their own country and retain the profits of it’s natural beauty, to benefit the citizens, achieving Hawaiian socialism paid for through American capitalism. Before this happens though, we must end the Jones Act because it artificially raises the cost of living in Hawaii and makes doing business difficult.
MT: What event in your life best prepared you for public office?
EH: My experience and expertise in international relations and criminal law, have all come together to enable me to be a strong leader. Working with foreign diplomats and world leaders is a pretty exciting task. Representing the people means understanding the concerns and struggles of all those in your district. I know it’s important to work for better jobs and lower taxes to benefit all the hard working people struggling to live in this economy. Overreaching government is a threat to the freedom and safety of citizens, therefore it’s agents must be kept on a short leash.
MT: Who should be the next President of the United States?
EH: Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is the best candidate for U.S. President because he understands that we must respect the civil rights of our citizens. I’m tired of politicians who think they have the right to walk all over those they govern.
MT: Which person who previously held the office you’re seeking do you hold up as a model? Why?
EH: I think both former Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) were both exceptional public servants and there is much I can learn from them. They both marked their careers through advocacy of civil rights and honest, accountable government. But since we’re talking about representing Hawaii, I think King Kamehameha I and Queen Liliuokalani are both inspiring in their dedication to a united, independent Hawaii.
MT: What (if anything) should the U.S. Congress do to reduce gun violence?
EH: The U.S. Government, through the CIA and major banks, should stop allowing street gangs, terrorist groups, and drug cartels to operate through the monopoly given to them by the failed and racist, “War on Drugs.” We should legalize all drugs to stop gun violence, and allow open carry of firearms nationally.
MT: What (if anything) should the nation be doing (that it isn’t already doing) to alleviate climate change?
EH: We should seek to go green and replace many common disposable products with biodegradable alternatives. On a national level, public transportation should be extended with the goal of a car-less society. Hemp biofuels are a good alternative to oil.
MT: In Strieff v Utah, the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled that police can keep evidence seized from stops made without reasonable suspicion if police find an even minor arrest warrant on the person stopped. Do you support this? Why or why not?
EH: No, I do not support the rationale in Strieff v Utah and I believe the decision is an unconstitutional hijacking of constitutional protections against a full-on police state. The United States has become the society envisioned in the book 1984 by George Orwell. Due to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, I do not believe that any State of Hawaii or United States law enforcement officer has any legitimacy in Hawaii, but this is a very scary proposition. Our criminal courts have long recognized a doctrine called the “fruit of the forbidden tree” which means that evidence obtained illegally can’t be used in court to prove someone’s guilt. Finding that someone you’ve illegally stopped has an active arrest warrant wouldn’t negate the principle and purpose of this doctrine, which is to discourage police officers from breaking the law. Strieff v Utah is judicial tyranny and proves the United States has become an evil police state, without rule of law.
MT: Do you support full legalization of marijuana? Why or why not?
EH: Yes, I support the full legalization of cannabis. Full legalization would mean that anyone could possess, grow, distribute, or sell as much as they’d like. Systems like the ones we’ve seen in Colorado and Washington State that have restrictive licensing, allowing only a select few to sell pot, prices that are expensive, and medical patients needs being thrown under the bus just don’t work. Cannabis should be affordable, high quality, and available everywhere to everyone. If elected to the United States Congress, I will work to legalize marijuana across the United States, but require that all the newly federally lawful marijuana to be grown exclusively in Hawaii. Cannabis is a wonderful plant with a lot of medicinal benefits that everyone should own and grow, to help health, wellness, and the economy.
Photo courtesy Eric Hafner
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