“Because Am Local `Nai”

The deepening crisis has exposed what we’ve thrown under the rug for years–neglect in the education of our people. It is such a mind-numbing problem that warrants immediate attention by all concerns. Today, local applicants have relied on a discordant chorus (when applying for jobs) of “Because Am Local `Nai”. It seems the holy grail of salvation for all those who’ve neglected acquiring lifetime skills when time was in their hands.

This practice of preferential hiring fueled and cemented by “Because Am Local `Nai” has its devastating effects over the long term and we’re seeing it today. The indigenous people use it with impunity as to build the royal notion that “education” can be postponed indefinitely or scrapped altogether. Thus, the focus is built upon detrimental reliance on a policy that, in my view, has played a contributing role in the illiteracy problems we find among our people today. The fall-out of this neglect is unbelievable!

The boom of the late eighties also fueled our local sense of ma–ana as to harden the errant belief that certain jobs are designed for guest workers. These workers have treated their jobs with dedication and one-upmanship because there’s a lot to gain with a job opportunity away from home. They’ve swallowed the pain of leaving their families behind to earn money so that their families can have better lives.

We walk around confident that our future is fully secured with the “Because Am Local `Nai” syndrome. The days of super abundance nullified all fears of the economy crashing into the cliff of bankruptcy. And with all the money then, we never even thought of building local financial reserve for that rainy day. The first drizzle of April Showers came two years ago only to find out that we left our raincoats and umbrellas at home. We’re dry financially, but wet with fear of the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

More so than ever before, hindsight tells us that we’ve neglected opportunities to prepare for the future. The future is here. It really doesn’t look any brighter than the dark overcast that first came hovering over these isles two years ago. The years gone by were bluffed with “So What!” attitude. Swimming upstream in the midst of the current crisis has everybody yelling “Now What!” Well, paddle hard for you might be lucky clinging to a rock along the rapid river of deathly mañana.

Over the years too, we’ve measured career success with government jobs where perks are in abundance paid for by productive members of the Northern Marianas Community. When I say “productive”, I am alluding (and in agreement) with Economist Ed Stephen, Jr’s. recent assertion) of people working in the private sector. I’d probably snake my way into a crab’s hole if ever I find a government employee who is in fact productive.

If you will, savings from austerity measures must include funneling funds for retraining of indigenous people who fell through the cracks. It would be really irresponsible to leave them swimming in helplessness. They look for leadership’s assistance. This is just as good a time to lend a hand by spending a little of our funds in retraining programs. Expenditure in this regard must be viewed as reinvestment in retraining our people for the challenges of the 21st Century. Let us join hands to erase the comforting though devastating refrain of “Because Am Local `Nai”. I hate to see the day when this chorus is repeated by our failure to pay heed to their needs to equip them with lifetime skills. Si Yuus Maase`!