Bombers B-29

It is of some interest and with some surprise, I believe, that statesiders who visit the CNMI view our local high voter turnout at election time. There are several reasons for the high turnouts of course, but the fact is the turnouts are always high! It might almost be said that we citizens get high on elections. But now we are looking at something different than in some other years: we are looking at a full blown “primary.” A primary of course elects nobody, but may in point of fact, be more important than the actual election. Why? Because the purpose of a primary is to select those who will run in the election. Picking high quality candidates is prima facie mucho importante!

But, here we run into a catch-22. In the case of the Republican Party, for example, once a winner is declared, will those who supported the losing candidate support his/her opponent? What kind of reasoning process would such a switch of internal loyalties demand? Let’s look at that. Let’s look at the reasoning process of the potential voter.

Every election time people make their decisions on what? How the candidate parts his hair? On the platform of the party? On the personal appeal of the candidate per se? On an depth knowledge of the issues? What? Question: Should there be a criteria established that a voter should have to meet in order to be allowed to vote? How about this.

At Christmas time in 1983, I remember reading a story I will never forget. A local radio station played an Orson Wells-esque practical joke on its listeners. At the time, the Cabbage Patch doll craze was in full swing. The doll, a Chinese creation, could have its birth registered and other papers usually reserved for living breathing human babies issued and sent to the proud mommy—usually an 8-year-old, of course. The dolls’ popularity was enormous; the price of the dolls went from 10 to 20 and more dollars overnight. In any event, the disc jockey told his listeners that his station had come into possession of two dozen of the much sought after item and were going to sell them to some lucky listeners at their cost—presumably about $10. To compete for the prize, all they had to do was show up at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California—the station was a Los Angeles radio station.

Those who show up, said the disc jockey, could have tailgate parties and wait for the grand moment. Explaining, the DJ recounted how a World War II B-29 bomber would fly over the stadium and release the dolls out the bomb bay, and those lucky enough to be able to pick one up would just flash their Master Card, Visa, or American Express card, and the radio station would bill them later; and maybe even invite them to be on the show. Fifteen hundred people showed up at the Rose Bowl.

Now, dear reader, a doll hitting the ground at 200 miles an hour, quite apart from being totally destroyed upon impact, would in fact become an essentially unguided but potentially lethal missile. And 24 of them…!

Now, I have a question. Who among you would grant that the people that fell for the disc jockey’s joke should be allowed to vote. Or, on another score, should we not ask ourselves whether or not our favorite primary candidate would have been among the brain dead 1,500! Oh yeah. Yes indeed. Absoluteamundo! We most definitely should be asking such questions.

Folks, to be informed is absolutely vital in this era of crashing economies, strange political alliances, and deteriorating physical and social environments. Study what the candidates say and look at their records. Oh, and avoid being anywhere near B-29 bombers at Christmas time.

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