R.I.P. Ira Rohter
June 23rd, 2009 by David ShapiroHawai'i's political culture suffered a significant loss with the sudden death of University of Hawai'i professor Ira Rohter.
Rohter was one of those gadflies who keep the system honest by asking sharp questions that strike close enough to the nerve to make established powers nervous.
As a founder and former chairman of the Hawai'i Green Party, he succeeded in establishing the Greens as a valid force in Local politics for a time.
The party was unusual in that its platform took precedent over personality; a candidate who ran Green as a convenience without buying into the beliefs was booted out of the party and removed from the ballot.
Rohter was regularly quoted in local media on political matters and was usually incisive and thought-provoking, speaking with the same infectious enthusiasm that made his courses so popular among students.
He was a professor always eager to take the university outside of the ivory tower and into the community and he will be missed.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 am
I agree, Ira Rohter will be missed.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
Thanks for your blog about Ira. I really admired Ira for his dedication to grassroots democracy and the responsibility he took in cultivating that activism in his students.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from Ira..."My passion is allowing more average people to participate in a more meaningful way in making the decisions that affect their lives.” This one will stay with me for awhile.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Ira was my mentor in more ways than one. I've known him longer than my SigOth - and we've been married for 31 years.
He helped me hone my political skills over the years as I transitioned from an academic-in-training to a advocate/activist.
It was certainly ironic that I was on my way back to downtown Honolulu when I heard the news of his death. I'd been at a meeting at Kapolei Hale where the Planning Commission was holding a contested case hearing to decide the fate of the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill. They will be voting shortly either to recommend its closure on November 1 or to support the City's petition to the State Land Use Commission to extend both its physical boundaries as well as its operating permit.
I cannot begin to grasp the notion of trying to deal with at least one hundred million tons of garbage without a landfill. Shipping it across the Pacific Ocean would cost the taxpayers at least $100,0000,000 each year at current bunker fuel prices. In the meantime, H-Power's electrical generation would be cut by 85% since the three transfer stations could only hold about 15% of O`ahu's trash. Not only would we have to import more petroleum and coal, our electrical bills would rocket.
It's times like these that Ira will be missed. Aloha & Mahalo for what you did to improve our lives.
Does anyone know when a memorial service will be held?
June 24th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Ira Rohter passed away suddenly on June 22nd, 2009, at the age of 70 of
a severe infection. He was a loving and devoted husband and father, an
esteemed Professor of Political Science at UH, and a passionate believer
in grassroots democracy and environmental activism. He will be greatly
missed by all. An outdoor memorial service will take place on Saturday
June 27th at 9am, at the Honolulu Waldorf School, 350 Ulua St, Niu
Valley, HI. Sharing an anecdote about Ira is encouraged! In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made to the Honolulu Waldorf High School
Building Fund