We the people must change our thinking!

I hope no one thinks that the myriad problems we face today happened overnight. Problems in the CNNMI started a long time back as small ones and grew into major ones as we ignored them. In our personal life it is the same way. Marriages begin to fall apart slowly, friendships break up unless nurtured, and a small illness grows into a major one—all start from small beginnings and grow into major ones when we ignore them.

We have to start thinking how we can correct and prevent the same mistakes we keep making repeatedly in the election of our representatives. There is only one way and that is to elect only men and women who have proven or will prove that they have the welfare of the people and the CNMI at heart. We must stop voting for “family relatives.”

Coming from the outside, I have always been amused at election time how persons I know by their first and last names suddenly have three or four more names on their political posters scattered around the island. Let’s say the name is Jesus Tenorio (a fictitious name; any similarity to a real person is entirely coincidental). At election time he becomes Jesus Cabrera Magofna Pangelinan Pellegrino Tenorio.

Where did he suddenly get all these names? Of course, he is referring to all the families he is remotely related to. He wants the “extended family” to know that he is running for office. So they vote accordingly because all of a sudden he is—wow!—a relative!

We don’t have to consider what his background is. Forget that he has nothing to show for his life’s endeavors. Don’t question his educational background—vote for him because he suddenly is a “lost relative” and we must vote for him. After all, isn’t this the island style? Yet we become unhappy when he proves to be worthless in the position we voted him to. Who should we blame when the problems keep growing? We are to blame because we voted for him.

Another pre-election game is that before a person runs for office he states: “I have to consult with my family and get their position before I can decide to run or not for office.” Does this person always confer with his family when he is going to do other things like go on vacation, have another baby (except confer with his wife), change jobs or move his residence? What is he really saying? He means I need to check if my extended family will support me or not. Okay, that is wise. But does the family ever ask him if he really is qualified to be an elected official?

Please don’t think I am merely poking fun at this style of campaigning. If the candidate wants to keep doing it this way, more power to him. But the reality is that unless we the voters question the candidate’s background, ability and sincerity, we will keep voting for people who are not qualified and are promoting their own personal agendas. Thus the problems keep growing.

Rarely do we hear or see a candidate state his qualifications for the elected position he seeks. Rarely does he present a platform of his own and promise to follow it. We know little of his background and do not ask for it. We hear only fuzzy remarks and glitzy promises about what he will do for us. We rarely question whether the promises are realistic or dreams. We soak up the beer and eat the food at his pocket meetings and listen to his rambling ideas knowing that, good or bad, we will vote for him because he is a “relative.” Who is to blame? We are because we voted for him.

It is time for us to consider what we must do in the next election. We cannot keep voting for “friends and relatives.” We must consider a new approach. Here is my suggestion for improving our situation and solving our problems.

Change and progress is what this country needs badly. And this change and progress can only come by electing fresh young faces. Change and progress need youth. Youth is not afraid of change and progress. Youth believes that change and progress can be brought about. Youth sees hope and a bright future where we elders see despair and futility.

Here are a few names of young famous people who hold or have held political office. John F. Kennedy was only 44 years old when he was elected President of the United States. Barack Obama is only 47 years old and is seeking to be President of the United States. Governor Pijuh Jinday of Louisiana was only 36 years old when elected. Patrick McHenry from the State of North Carolina is the youngest member of the U.S. Congress at the age of 33. He was elected when only 31. Brad Henry, Governor of Oklahoma, is only 39 years old. Zebulon Baird Vance, former Governor of North Carolina, was only 28 years old when elected.

Though Martin Luther King never held political office, he received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35, the youngest recipient ever. So the list goes on about youth in high elected offices or high achievements.

We have to reach out to our youth who are better educated than many of us and see a different CNMI than us. They are young enough to see the horizon as a bright future. We must motivate them to seek political office. They are our future. We older citizens have lived a long and enjoyable life and must step aside and encourage youth to take over the responsibilities of running our country.

Many of the youth I have spoken to want to help but they fear that they will be disrespectful to their elders. I tell them to be respectfully disrespectful. Please understand that we need fresh new faces with fresh new ideas.

This is the only way our people who have left the islands will return. The youth who return will share with us their new-found knowledge and experience of living in the United States adding to our change and progress. We have to reinvent ourselves. The old thinking will not do anymore. We are first United States citizens and second citizens of the CNMI.

Let’s stop being afraid of losing our culture when we accept change and progress. It is funny that no one ever questions when did a particular part of our culture start and were there any changes made. We seem to never realize that culture is in a constant state of flux as all other change is. Which is worse, changing the culture to suit the times or losing our islands completely?

I would love to see our youth take control of government and run it as they see fit. I can feel the excitement and pulse of new changes and progress. Instead of walking forward with our heads turned backward, we now can march forward in bold strides with our eyes looking ahead. A new and exciting CNMI awaits us if only we are willing to take the first step toward it. I am! Will you join me and our youth?