“Take Pride in America” Coalition, racist!

The “Take Pride in America Coalition” has sought and denied support from Guam’s Delegate Robert Underwood on legislation being peddled outside the halls of the US Congress against the local apparel industry here.

Our salute to Delegate Underwood for calling the contents of the proposed legislation “erroneous” and “inflammatory”, legislation that will never see the dawn of light in the 106th US Congress.

There are substantive reasons why such legislation will never make it through Congress. They include among others:

• The racist nature of the legislation so shockingly mindless of the livelihood of US Citizens in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

• The racist nature in the grand ignorance that most of the biggest apparel manufacturing companies in the islands are owned by Chinese US Citizens.

• The cop-out of circumventing real industry competition between complacent US mainland apparel industry versus the more modern means of apparel production in the CNMI.

The “Take Pride in America Coalition” has taken on a cause that will fizzle out in no time for as long as our national leaders are wary of the inevitable onslaught of globalization of trade among industrial and emerging economies the world over.

The basic setback that warrants critical review is: Why has manufacturing relocated to foreign countries, i.e., recent plant relocation of Levi Strauss from San Francisco to some foreign venue?

As difficult a pill to swallow, such reality as cheap labor in foreign countries and the emergence of a fully trained cadre of workers capable and able of producing quality products must be dealt with from a competitive standpoint. In short, the “Take Pride in America Coalition” must reinvent old paradigms in what it has taken for granted since the end of World War II in order to come to terms with what must have gone wrong since then.

As a US Citizen of 23 years, I certainly take pride in my country and all that it stands for although I find the racist cause of the “Take Pride in America Coalition” less of something to be proud of. It’s an admission that they can’t compete on equal footing with factories owned and run efficiently by Americans of Color.

How much longer must this grand bigotry be promoted by those who now use political arm twisting as their tool of convenience? And lest you forget, the NMI is also a permanent part of the so-called “American Political Family” and there’s no two ways about it either. When can we be allowed to assimilate into the greater American
Economic Community? Finally, when can equal application of federal law be effected so that the “economic good times” doesn’t “leave the NMI behind?”

Condolences to the Kennedys

John F. Kennedy Jr. lived in a public fish bowl since his toddler years. Handsome, educated, witty though shy from following his dad’s footsteps in the public arena, he was indeed the dream of every young girl who wishes to enter the Kennedys’ life in camelot.

Undeniably, the Kennedys have had their share of success and tragedies for more than 50 years. There was Joseph Kennedy (JFK’s oldest brother) who died when his fighter plane was shot down. Then there’s President JFK who was assassinated in Texas followed by the assassination of his brother Robert Kennedy as he started his presidential bid. Of course, there’s Senator Ted Kennedy’s Chappaquidick auto crash that left a girl dead. And, now, there’s the death of JFK Jr. in a plane accident.

Indeed, the Kennedys have “given more to America” than any other family and has made our country a better place throughout the world community. And for all that they are and their contributions, let us remember JFK Jr. in our thoughts and prayers in these most trying times for the family. Si Yuus Maase`!