Keep your eyes open

I recently ran across a quote from the late Kenya President Jomo Kenyatta who was the first elected president of the African country of Kenya after it claimed independence from British rule. He said, “When the white missionaries came to Kenya, they had Bibles in their hands, we had the land. Then they taught us to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened our eyes, we had Bibles in our hands and they had our land in their hands.”

Think about that before you allow anyone to amend or repeal Article 12 of the CNMI Constitution. Maybe you should keep you eyes open when you pray and when you vote. Our lawmakers change the laws to suit their agendas. As for the CNMI Marine Monument, once the people of the CNMI have decided they want it, and the Feds make it happen, then the lawmakers on Capital Hill (or is it ladera de los Ladrones) cannot change the law at will.

For Mr. Gurley, your May 23, 2008 letter implies that outside influence from various environmental groups distorts the statistical data of the real feelings of the local people concerning their CNMI Marine Monument. Then you cited a bunch of statistics concerning the Hawaiian Monument. What you did not tell everyone is that the local Hawaiians voted overwhelmingly in favor of their monument. And you are correct that environmentalists from the CNMI and outside are voicing their opinions. That is what we do. At least we are honest and upfront about who we are and what we do. If your water is safe to drink, your air safe to breathe, your car gets 30+ mpg, you are safe when you swim at the beach and your fish is safe to eat, thank an environmentalist. Oh yeah, I made that stuff up about Hawaiian voters. Who knows how they voted? See how easy it is to write fiction or misinformation and the people think it is the truth. At least I tell the reader when I make something up out of nothing.

For Mr. Richard Seman, about your letter “Leave all conservation measures to the people of the CNMI,” yeah right. Maybe you did not notice the signs on the sides of numerous vehicles of DEQ, DLNR, F&W, CRM, etc. Someone has painted “Federally Funded.” All of the CNMI’s conservation projects are mostly the result of federal funding. CNMI got jobs and money out of it. If you do not like Pew’s proposal, write your own, get everyone to agree and we can take that to the President. The administration has had over six months since this issue has come up to propose what they would like to do. They have done taya, zip, nada, nothing but to say no. The governor unilaterally without any public hearings rejected the proposal. The people did not choose. And outsiders do not have a vote. Maybe you think we are not intelligent enough to decide what is best for ourselves, our families, and our futures and the future of the CNMI. Get over you hubris and xenophobia.

Unlike Mr. Gurley, I have no “Bible” of facts or whatever that I want you to read. Unlike Mr. Seman, I am not a lackey of the governor and he cannot fire me for opposing viewpoint. For everyone else, keep your minds and eyes open for there are thieves about that want your fish and your land or whatever else they can take from you. Since the administration has had no public hearings on this matter, write a letter. Tell us, for or against, how you feel and why about your CNMI Marine Monument.