Honor Killing The Massie Case - 898 Words

Honor Killing The Massie case is a very important case historically, where we can learn from out mistakes and hope that the injustices would not be repeated. One of the most important aspects of the case is its location, Hawai i. Described as an American playground for the wealthy Hawai i was a paradise controlled by wealthy Americans (Stannard 23). Even though it was not yet a U.S. state, at the time of the case, the ideas and influence of Americans overruled that of the native Hawaiians. This is shown especially when the alleged rape of Thalia Massie became public. Even before a trial was held, most people believed the six men to be guilty just because of their race and who the victim was, a white woman and the wife of a navy officer. David Stannard reinforces the idea that the alleged rape, murder of Joseph Kahahawai, and the outcome of both trials could have only happened in Hawai i during the 1930s in his book Honor Killing. The three reasons for this are that all of the suspects were either Hawaiian or Asian, most Americans living in Hawai i at the time were wealthy, and Hawai i was not a U.S. state until 1950. When Thalia Massie was describing her attackers, she said she had been kiddnapped and beaten by a gang of Hawaiians (Stannard 101). When people heard that the alleged attackers were Hawaiian they immediately believed Thalia s story. At the time, in 1931, there was extreme prejudice against the native Hawaiians and the people in control were moreShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages......................................................................................... 488 The Scientific Method ........................................................................................................................ 490 Some Case Studies ............................................................................................................................. 491 Review of Major Points .....................................................................................