Proposed censorship of 4th Estate

There’s a legislative proposal to replace the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Its goal is to deny citizenry its rights to freedom of expression and press. Perhaps the silly season must be nearing its pinnacle, if nothing else. It boggles the mind what comes out of the silly assembly line of the lower chamber up on the hill.

The first amendment is composed of four areas that says in part, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” It’s simple and straightforward and if our illustrious lawmakers passed their high school civic classes, then they ought to know the descending order of the supremacy of laws. Not unless they simply choose the side of ignorance in hypnagogic state, which doesn’t seem humiliating for them anymore. It’s fodder for laughter among civic class students here.

The libel law is simple: It’s a purposeful lie about someone, often malicious and published. Most educated folks are aware that freedom of expression and of the press comes with responsibility. Citizens can submit dissenting views while the press has the “fair comment” right to say its piece responsibly, scathing as they may be.

You can’t even go after those who use monikers to express their views. Hell, they have anonymity to say their piece. The court can’t force the news organization to divulge their names. Obviously, the truth must hurt after these folks, some of whom you meet daily, have poked or bruised your overblown ego. But it’s a way of issuing performance rating for the effete bunch whose morbid proposal only confirms adolescency.

Good luck! Remember, a local law can’t amend the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It’s not even negotiable but rather an enduring provision that all must follow. Like personal dignity, no one can take it away from you.

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The word “confident” comes from the Latin “fido,” meaning “I trust.” The deepening fiscal disaster is called “credit crisis.” The word “credit” derives from the Latin “credo,” meaning “I believe.” There’s more to the term beyond the dual predictions of a rosy or bleak future.

Though we may have rationalized what’s before or ahead of the NMI (and I doubt legislators have done their due diligence), we may still refuse to act on such rationality not until and unless we can trust what’s before us.

When confidence is gone, businesses withdraw and sell what’s left of their assets in order to collect at least their initial expenses. When the reverse occurs, they move confidently, buying up whatever it takes to move on. We’re in the former category. We no longer have confidence on both sides of the fence—investors and host—and we mull, in paralysis, what lies ahead.

With this in mind, one would reasonably have confidence in legislative leadership that it would critically and jointly review with the administration the huge outflow of revenue (investment). It means prudence and frugal spending from A-Z.

But this isn’t happening! It has decided otherwise by sending members and staff to Palau for a breather, all paid for by hard times-stricken taxpayers. Legislators dither in the midst of a quickly sinking ship! The grand excuse that they’d tackle issues vital for our Micronesian brothers and sisters doesn’t come close to reasoning. It’s shallow rationalization that only demagogues dare use to lie through their teeth!

No surprise for citizenry to express contempt against the Legislature’s shortsighted decision. It’s common sense that you don’t spend money you don’t have in the local coffers. In medical parlance, do you operate on a hemophiliac?

It reads banner headlines in both papers of thematic apology of “delayed” paydays in order to pay CUC, Fund, CHC, and other seriously urgent obligations. And they also want to increase their monthly stipend to $4,000 per month to ward off the bad times. What about the people you represent in our legislative institution? Ooops! Sorry, I forgot that we fall under your category of non-essentials.

There should come the appropriate time to see all these abuses that caters to your pockets and interest over improving the livelihood of your people. Disgustingly humiliating!

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It’s good to learn from two groups of folks here: farmers and surfers. The first group plans their entire year in advance of every season. It includes land clearing; selection of fast crops, seed flats preparation, manpower, fertilizer, and insecticides and diversified farming.

As they move along, they secure valuable information of fast moving crops and a solid idea of market places, the taste buds of consumers, etc. No matter the weather, they still move on as difficult as the times may be. In brief, they plan their entire year!

What’s there to learn from surfers? They’re out in the turbulent whip of the trade winds in the lagoon. They size up the situation, count waves, and calculate exactly when to move to ride the largest wave to shore.

But the most difficult aspect of windsurfing is the slam when something is amiss. The surfer comes down heavy, rolls in fatal turbulent waves and whippy wind, trying to figure his way out by the seconds. He gets up, collects his surfboard and sail. Prepares once more and goes for the jugular, time and again. It’s called persistence! This is the seemingly missing vocabulary among leadership when caught slammed by the huge waves of a worsening financial crisis.

If we put our minds together, pounding our chest with mea culpa in Washington won’t be so embarrassing. I’m afraid that it’s our last option—beg with mea culpa for answers, any answer to domesticate the high cost of utilities, gasoline, basic commodities, etc. Let’s do it and let’s do it now!

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