In 1997, at the age of 22, I wrote this poem because of the dramatic things my friends and I went through. At that time, I knew girls who survived rape and abuse. My best friend was almost shot by a person with road rage. I myself was being hunted down by a crazy person and his friends because he was upset I dated his ex-girlfriend who I no longer was dating since 1995. This person finally stopped trying to attack me after I took him to court in 1999 where he received a misdemeanor conviction. The girl I was seeing at the time was almost raped at her own graduation party set up by her friends in a hotel in Waikiki. I remember her running upstairs to me. I took her away from the room and headed downstairs to call the police but she would not let me because she didn’t want to make a commotion. Rather, she cried in my arms.
I directed a lot of my energy towards my studies and public service. Instead of just focusing on myself, I focused on others. I really felt that politics was a way to make positive changes in the world. I had an unbelievable drive to enter politics. In fact, starting in 1996, I was already planning for my 2002 run for political office.
EASE THE PAIN
There is no word
Which describes my anger at the evils of the world
I don’t understand the reason
Why people hurt other people?
I wish I had the power
To ease the pain of others
The problems will never cease
My goal is to see it does
Only together we have the power
To ease the pain of others
People will say I am a dreamer
I don’t care
I won’t stop
I’ll make them a believer
— Jon Riki Karamatsu 1997 —
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 