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CNMI holidays with questions
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Posted on Jan 18 2005
First, I would like to thank all the people who attended the Martin Luther King Day celebration at the PIC on Monday, which was the official holiday across the nation. But when it comes to MLK Day in the CNMI, I must ask several questions and I would like to get an answer in the form of a real solution.
* Why do every state and all the insular areas of America recognize MLK Day but the CNMI doesn’t?
* Why does the CNMI need three holidays (Commonwealth Day, Constitution Day, and Covenant Day) to celebrate the creation of the Commonwealth, considering that the Covenant alone created the Commonwealth? The federal government only has one holiday (Independence Day) to recognize the creation of America. The intent of the three holidays is good but are they really needed when compared to our “role model” in Washington?
* Why do we have Commonwealth Day when we never follow the proper protocol to use it for inauguration ceremonies?
* Why do we have a Constitution Day when the federal Constitution is not even recognized with a holiday? Is the CNMI Constitution really more important than the federal Constitution—which is what we are implying?
* Why do we have “Citizenship Day” when the government never uses Citizenship Day to honor and recognize the average citizen(s) in our society who “donate” their time, money and efforts to social and economic improvements in our society?
* Why do we keep playing political football with MLK Day, given its overwhelming acceptance and approval within our society, instead of working out a real solution?
I can’t see why we shouldn’t make MLK Day a holiday—that’s why I had to ask these holiday questions. I just hope the right people in government will do the right thing when they try to answer these questions. But if they don’t do the right thing I’m sure the people of the CNMI will do the right thing if given a chance to make MLK Day an official holiday. Thanks to all of the people who are supporting and keeping hope alive for an official MLK holiday in the CNMI. One people, one direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman
