Japan nixing sex slave funds

Strangely interesting how a court of appeals in Japan has nixed sex slave funds saying there were no constitutional violations.

Isn’t forcing sex against a woman’s will sufficient a violation of that person’s individual rights? Would the judges rule differently if one of their siblings had to endure such atrocious acts against women?

“Historians say as many as 200,000 women, mostly Koreans but also Filipinos, Chinese and Dutch, were forced into sexual slavery during World War II”.

Wait, we’re not done yet, either. Such case also happened in the Mariana Islands during the war. Someone needs to probe this case and bring justice to local women forced into sexual slavery more than 50 years ago.

Either Japan settles this issue today or forever be haunted by the ghost of its past!

The pageant’s shallow politics

I understand that the pageant’s board of directors denied entry of the Saipan Tribune reporters seeking coverage of the main event last Saturday. Tribune reporters were told to come at 9:30 P.M.. after the event. The pageant started at 6:30 P.M.

I served as the MC for the pageant in 1985. It gave me first hand experience what happens in that event after several rehearsdals. There’s the cat-walk, night gown competition, question and answer session, serenade, dance, etc. It’s a natural photo session for the media.

Obviously, it wasn’t the Tribune who lost out in this event as much as the contestants and all the hard work they had put into the competition. The loss includes denying the public outside these isles who’s the new Miss CNMI Universe. Her picture and royal court would have been posted on both front pages–hard copy and online edition–for the entire world to view.

The Tribune’s online edition is the only daily link between these isles and the rest of the world. There’s more than 18,000 people who check it daily, legitimately, worldwide. The whole world would have known who won the recent event. But it was limited to the other paper’s pages. I suppose this the net result of the pageant’s politics of immaturity.

I understand why a certain clique wanted it this way. But let’s get one thing straight–it’s a media even–all the way around. It’s all about the glamnour of the event, therefore, the dimwit politics of the board should have been parked permanently in their back pockets.

Well, let’s see what lies ahead and guess what, it’s the Tribune who will have the last sweet chuckle.

Definitely, certain decisions about the pageant’s activities deserve microscopic review, including the exclusion of any and all its events before and after the night of the pageant, henceforth. Now, it’s mea culpa time, yeah?

• • • •

It’s the drought season, friends. It’s time to begin thinking and practicing water conservation. It’s a finite resource that would last if, and only if, we’re thoughtful about its uses, daily.

It’s April and yes, there’s the Primet Agua De Abrit. But would this be the real spring in these isles when the rainy season begins dripping from the blues of paradise?

I’m not and the grass along the road is a tale that this dry spell may go longer than anticipated. Prepare for it by conserving water. This attitude that “it’s da government `nai” doesn’t count.

When we abuse it, there won’t be enough water to go around in the near term. Inconvenient water hours may be the next measure we all dread. We can stop if by conserving water today! It’s finite resource, conserve it today!

Strictly a personal view. John S. DelRosario Jr. is publisher of Saipan Tribune.