Lest our detractors forget
It’s difficult for simple islanders to understand all the controversy about a federal takeover which would compromise the actual exercise by the governance of strengthening our democratic institutions.
But it isn’t difficult for the simple folks at home to understand that in fact we’ve earned our freedom from the sacrifices and destruction of the hostilities of World War II where the grass was crushed when the two global giants fought.
The grass in this instance are the indigenous people of these islands who endured death and destruction from a war to which they were innocent bystanders. Our parents and grandparents, however, kept stone silent not that they were fearful, but humility was and still is the forte of the cultural traditions of Chamorros and Carolinians.
We listened to recantations of stories from our elderly of how they’ve lost loved-ones and property in a war which never involved the indigenous people seeking to wretch what is theirs for we know in our hearts what’s ours and that the smoke of the hostilities would someday settle and disappear in the breezy tropical winds of life itself.
Since 54 years ago, we undertook some painful period of reconstruction to return life to normalcy. The Naval administration never had our interest as it was too busy training Chinese nationals in Marpi and Kagman. It took over the Deni` Area (Capital Hill) to house its employees. In fact, all three places were off-limits for the indigenous people who brave entering Marpi and Kagman for hunting purposes.
Despite these years of neglect, we’ve always wanted to be a part of the greatest country on earth. Thus, the birth of the failed pursuit of Marianas Integration. Eventually, however, our aspirations were heard by the late Congressman Philip Burton who championed our entry into the greater American Community. This arrangement rekindled our hopes for brighter tomorrows.
Our mother country–through the Covenant Agreement–gave us financial assistance to augment emplacement of basic infrastructure. From the outset, the lead federal agency encouraged the leadership of these islands to take advantage of the Headnote 3-A provision inherent in the Covenant Agreement. We did only to find out later that there’s a shift in policy because the “we few” federal officials have decided to protect the special interest of the US Textile Labor Unions over the livelihood of this group of US Citizens. How sad an agenda that promises to compromise the democratic process.
In short, we begun self-government on our own. The lead federal agency was never an active partner. In fact, it contributed substantially to the dysfunctional relationship that now exist. And it has faithfully engaged in dedicated negative campaign not only against the NMI, but key members of the US Congress who empathize with our efforts at reconstruction since 54 years ago. We know in our hearts that this agenda of destruction, discrimination and unequal application of federal policy isn’t what our country is all about.
As helpless as we may be, we are ever so grateful to Congressmen Tom DeLay, Don Young, Dana Rorabacher and others, including Senator Frank Murkowski for their efforts in putting this controversy into proper perspective. We now have hope that things would work as they should be as members of the greater American Community. Si Yuus Maase`!
