I donut niid edukashun; I hab kommon cents

Editor’s Note: The following is being published as a series due to its length.

In exchange for numerous trips to Australia for him and his wife, the mayor of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin in Russia had an Australian company build a brick factory on city land for the city’s use…for a hefty price. You’re right—it never operated (and stands tall today near the railroad station). Why? It’s because Sakhalin does not have the correct soil for brick-making. There was a grain of sincerity but it was overcome by ignorance and greed.

The people of the CNMI were offered an $81 million state-of-the-art ferry to be brought to Rota for free, put on the land with money from a federal fund so people could see the seriousness of the people, designs made for terminals on Rota and Guam made and executed, and selection of a sub-contractor who would operate it. It would have started to operate last November (one year ago) carrying cars, trucks, equipment, containers, and 125 passengers—easily doubled to 250 seats. There was a fund that would be used to train the sub-contractor’s crew to operate the equipment and money available for three years of fuel! Yet we lost a huge revenue-generating machine what would have been followed by more but sincerity is no substitute for rightly applying knowledge and understanding and it’s expressed in wisdom.

Ideas: Some don’t seem to realize that the CNMI is not the idea/ innovation/ invention/ creativity-generating center of the universe. So when a well-intentioned, educated, wise person approaches them with an idea or concept, it’s rejected. “If it’s not mine, it’s no good!” “Only my ideas are worthy of merit!” Then they sometimes call a friend about what they were told, and that person profits while the initial individual is rejected or blocked.

I realize that just because a person has an idea, doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea, or that it’s feasible or timely. But consider Kalabera Cave: It has three levels—the entrance level, 60 feet down is the second level, and then in the back over to the left is a berm. And behind this berm is a 20-foot diameter vertical, volcanic hole that drops down 100 feet. At the bottom, there is a horizontal tunnel that, at one point, splits into two. It’s said that one of these tunnels terminates at the ocean. Now, tell me, as a tourist (or local, for that matter) wouldn’t it be interesting to descend in a 20-foot diameter, 100-foot hole in pitch blackness within a volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean then explore horizontal, volcanic tunnels few have ever seen…and do this without damaging the resource in any way? I think it would. My friend came up with this concept along with the relatively inexpensive (but safe) equipment to conduct such a tour but the government seems a barrier even in their slowness.

Ask yourself: Can I name one Chamorro inventor? We all want things but we won’t make the effort to cultivate those things…food, entrepreneurship, innovation, inventiveness, creativity…and the list goes on. Consider….

“ (fill in) has so much potential!” You’ve probably said those words to yourself or out loud. Take Rota for example: What great potential. But what’s been going on for the past 30 years to put that potential to use? Little or nothing. It’s heading backwards and not looking to people who can really help jump-start the economy.

Consider our kids who want to do something different such as get an education off-island and how often treat them badly. It’s “Crabs in a Box.” One of our kids senses that there’s something to be gained “outside” but, as he climbs, he’s pulled back down by the others. And if you’ve ever seen land crabs in a box, they not only pull the rebel down, they kill him! Just as we kill the spirit of our kids. How about the legend of Taga? One day he observes his son pull a coconut tree out of the ground to gain access to a coconut crab. His reaction? He kills his son. What an inspiration to our kids, eh? They hear it in a story and the see it in real life. Maybe it’s time to update the story? Taga sees his son, comes out of hiding, approaches his son and tells him how strong and wise he’s becoming. And with a bit more help from the elders including his father, he will one day become a great leader. That’s motivating, eh? That’s what I’d like to see done on Rota to stop the migration of families off the island and get those who have left to return. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out a copy of the (very) old movie, Son of Kong. Watch the ending. It is what Christ did. It is how we are to treat our kids—thrust them out of harm’s way to continue to do well. A generation ago, the people on Rota worked extra hard at farming and sold land that they weren’t using in order to send their kids to college. Now, take a look at the people from Rota who are providing wisdom to the CNMI, especially at our judicial system.

To be continued

Arnold J. Mesa
Chinatown, Saipan