Unbridled truth

As a native to the beautiful island of Saipan, I feel a responsibility to make known the actual content in the CNMI Covenant, which has recently been misquoted. Our right to self-government has been repeatedly pointed out by the sponsor and executor of the current lawsuit against the federal government. According to the Covenant, we do have this right indicated in section 103, where it states verbatim: [I]Section 103. The people of the Northern Mariana Islands will have the right of local self-government and will govern themselves with respect to internal affairs in accordance with a Constitution of their own adoption. [/I]

This specific section in the Covenant clearly indicates what our rights are regarding self-government and to where those rights pertain. We have the right to local self-government and with it, we are to govern ourselves with respect to internal affairs in accordance with the Constitution of our own adoption. Well, our Constitution has been adopted and we are failing at self-government, horribly. According to the Encarta Dictionary, internal as it would apply to the CNMI is defined as “occurring within country; originating, operating, or located within a country’s borders (internal affairs).” It’s not too complex to recognize where foreign workers fall according to the definition; they do not originate within our border, but are instead flown across the ocean from their home country, in order to work temporarily. I do not comprehend the interpretation as our relying on their work, nor do I comprehend how we see the justice in treating them with contempt and disregard. Of course some would point out the “or” in the definition, claiming it a loophole for us to continue using their services indefinitely. To that, I would again revert to our Covenant, section 104, verbatim: The United States will have complete responsibility for and authority with respect to matters relating to foreign affairs and defense affecting the Northern Mariana Islands. The language does not get any more basic.

The lawsuit against the United States has no grounds, especially upon review of the Covenant. The foreign workers are/were within our borders on a temporary basis. They were given permissions according to laws enacted before the United States decided to reclaim their just position and right in accordance to the Covenant. They decide security in immigration and this trumps economic stability that is reliant on indentured servitude. They researched and found our government to be lacking in ensuring immigration security. The Governor, claiming the United States has no grounds to take control and implement the new immigration law, is absolute ludicrousness (its actually a word). Section 104 of our Covenant plainly points out the United States having complete responsibility for and authority with respect to matters relating to foreign affairs! It doesn’t take a self-taught pawn, jail-yard lawyer to understand that.

This leads me to believe that the only reason any law firm would take this case is because they stand to gain a ton of cash regardless of winning or losing—of these, losing being the more likely—and the people would end up hurting in two ways: one, they will end up paying for the money lost; two, the relationship between the CNMI and the United States would be tarnished. It’s beyond the scope of legality to think our relationship would remain fully intact after an act of desperation and disrespect. What is laid out in black and white, legally, will be resonating in the minds of true decision makers. Anyone with a negligible education knows there are countless ways within the law to indicate the lessening of what should be a solid friendship. And if any government has this type of thing down pat, it’s the federal government.

It takes a special person (super special, get it?) to think you can bite the hand that feeds you and not have any form of retaliation. Sure it would be nice to believe they would take derision and smile; however, we don’t live in a wonderland. In the real world, regardless of what is legally expected, there are always repercussions. Newton’s law exclaims, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” If Governor Fitial has his way and the Legislature allows his suit to be funded on the backs of the people, we would definitely be receiving the equal and opposite reaction.

Truthfully, federalization will benefit us, if we stopped for a moment to see the advantage it brings. It will compel us to economically stand on our own, rather than on the subjugation of foreign workers. Instead of turning a blind eye to the atrocities these underpaid, malnourished, and devastatingly impoverished workers are undergoing, we will regain the pride of surviving on our own hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Maybe you won’t be able to afford a maid and have to wash your own clothes, but the end result will better the lives of our future, the children. And oh, by the way, whenever the federal government does something like this, they usually come bearing fat pockets with other grants and financial measures to assist in the transition. Only this time, the money would be for the people instead of simply lacing the inner linings of the politically corrupt. To that end, I surmise the governor’s view is purely in defense of the loss of revenue built on the unhealthy backs of cheap labor and human trafficking (objection speculation!), in addition to defending his pride through a horrid attempt of a lawsuit.

With some claiming we have an already unworkable relationship, I contend it is a relationship that America has been trying to improve, while some of our lapdogs (corrupted leaders) resist, to the detriment of our culture. What is understandable is the desire to clear the air in hopes of defining and refining the federal/CNMI relationship. But, how can it be defined when the corrupt keep blinding the public from the truth? And honestly, why refine: because some want to have their cake (cheap labor) and eat it too (fattened pockets)? I apologize, but there is no getting without giving. The United States is doing a lot for our people and some just keep crying for more, without wanting to give anything in return. Listen, the federal government is not obligated under the Covenant agreement to provide for a progressively higher standard of living for our people. They agreed to assist us in the direction leading to our self-government accomplishing this task. Unfortunately, the local government is pocketing the help the federal government is giving, and then claiming it’s the U.S. fault! Perhaps it may be best for some to revisit their second grade teacher and learn reading comprehension. By the way, respect is earned and not implicitly demanded. Continued disrespect toward the federal government shows only the opposite of what our culture entails. And that is the unbridled truth.