Thurston Twigg-Smith tries to argue that the residents of Hawaii accepted the so-called republic (Letters, Dec. 13).

That must be why Twigg-Smith’s grandfather, Lorin Thurston, who played a key role, wrote at the time:

“I hope that those who are drafting the constitution will not allow the fine theories of free government to predominate over the necessities of the present situation” and “I do not think under the existing conditions we are safe in leaving election of the president to a popular vote” – P. 155, “Nation Within” by Tom Coffman.

The provisional government, in forming itself into a so-called republic, never submitted their constitution to ratification by popular vote and severely restricted the franchise of Native Hawaiians.

No, the truth is clear regardless of Twigg-Smith’s revisionism to obscure the misdeeds and strongly anti-democratic sentiments of his kupuna. The truth is that the provisional government, the so-called republic, and the U.S. occupation were forced upon the people of Hawaii against their will and without their consent.