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Discriminatory
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Posted on Apr 09 2012
This is in response to Diego Camacho Blanco’s letter to the editor (Questions that need answers, Saipan Tribune, April 6, 2012), about Mr. Efrain F. Camacho reasons to abolish Article 12 of the CNMI Constitution. After consulting with our elders and the people we know, we have come to the conclusion that our land alienation law is unfair to our society as a whole. Not only that Article 12 discriminate other ethnicities in our island chain, but it hinders progress within our society and destroys the Northern Mariana descents’ fundamental well-being. We continue to call ourselves United States citizens and at the same time we turn a blind eye when it comes to extending our fellow Americans their fundamental right to own property in the CNMI.
We have no knowledge of what Mr. Camacho intends, but we know for a fact that our land alienation law should be abolished for the sake of our future generations. Several of our siblings sold their properties for a thousand dollars per 1,000 square meters and it was their choice to do so. We have choices in our lives and our government should not be making choices for each one of us. It is undemocratic for our government to continue to dictate who owns private land in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Many of us serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, so people like you can enjoy your fundamental rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. It is only fair for all U.S. citizens to be afforded the opportunity to own private land throughout our island chain. Mr. Blanco, it is unfair for you to accuse us and Mr. Efrain F. Camacho that we are supporting the abolishment of our land alienation law for our financial gain. Most of us are landless in the CNMI and we have no financial gain from repealing Article 12. The reason behind our support for abolishing our land alienation law is the discriminatory nature of such law. For us to allow Article 12 to continue will preserve the status quo within our society and our future generations can’t afford such predicament.
[B]Segundo Castro [/B] [I]San Jose Village, Tinian[/I]
