Live with it or leave

This is in response to Ms. Berueco’s letter. I’ve been standing in the sidelines watching, or in my case, reading all these letters between you and Mr. McCue and I must say you are so distorted that I want to share my take on this. Not only won’t you admit to the fallacy of your thoughts and opinions, but you also go on and attack Mr. McCue, telling him he is not on the island and therefore is not entitled to speak his mind. Are you kidding me? Who are you to tell people when to talk and when not to? It seems to me you enjoy using this medium to speak your mind. Why can’t he? Is it because he is somewhere in Florida? Come on! I guess that should give me every right to speak then. For one, I am local, 100-percent Refalawasch and proud to be one, and I’ve only been off island for a short while. How does that sound to you?

I don’t really care what you think. But here is what I think about you. You talk about being a group of mature people and yet you are vindictive in your personal attacks on Mr. McCue. You want people, and the government, be it the CNMI government or the feds, to believe you. Grow up and do not ever tell another human being if he can talk or otherwise. You are being immature and it will not help your cause. I agree with you on this, no individual should ever force another to do anything against his or her wishes. It is immoral, inhumane, and unconstitutional.

But as Mr. McCue and every indigenous Chamorro and Refalawasch has been telling you and every unhappy nonresident worker on those beautiful islands of ours, you know where the airport is. If things there are so ugly you cannot continue living as the privileged individual you all have become, purchase yourself and your families an airline ticket and go home. Oh wait, the economic crisis doesn’t afford you to do that? Gee, how about you stop sending all your earning home so you will have enough to buy your tickets then?

You state, “I am enjoying my life here in the CNMI and [that] the CNMI [has] made my life better.” We all know that, your family and friends back home know that, heck the world knows and believe me, a lot of people know about your plight and what it is that is driving you and this movement. We also know that going back to the life you left will definitely put a HUGE dent on your pocketbook. That is what scares you and the countless contract workers there. You do not want to go back to the poverty you left behind. But that does not give you the right to come as a guest worker and demand that my people bend over backwards to please you. I wouldn’t ever and I don’t think every breathing Chamorro and Refalawasch there would either!

Let’s do some role reversal here and you tell me this: Would your government or your people do something of this magnitude in your country if I went to work there and found things not to my liking? Would it or yourself let me and other non-indigenous folks march and demand for changes? Especially if I start bringing the rest of my family members as tourists and like many of you have done, go into hiding, and then complain that life is hard and the people treat me like a slave. How would you feel? What would you tell me and countless others who are causing a ruckus in your country demanding all that you are asking for now?

I, like countless others, am starting to sound like a scratched CD in telling you this. If you do not like how things are, go back home where things should be better for you with the family support have there and whatnot. Better yet, find another country where your services and expertise are needed. But do not impose yourself and your ideologies on my people. Like you said so yourself, you have accepted the conditions of your life so you either live with it or leave. Ask all your questions, you have every right to but be a mature individual and move on if it is not working out for you anymore. That is the logical thing to do. Stop all your whining and enjoy the holidays. Merry Christmas!