The dumbing down effect the CNMI has on people

When I came back “home” four months ago I had high hopes that the people had grown and matured and took their CNMI seriously. What confronted me was overt racism, bigotry, and a sense of hopelessness. This, I found out, can be attributed directly to the same tired, old farts that were running things when I lived through the Teno years here. Social strife, economic deprivation and prejudices got worse, much worse in the intervening 25 years. One-half the population—the half with 98 percent of the drive, brains, and determination—moved on to greener pastures, leaving the other half, with no zeal, curiosity or creativity, in control. It shows.

PSS has to share the blame for all the brain-dead Chamorro and Carolinian citizens of the CNMI, your “old, outdated traditions” the other. The last one that has to take part of the blame is, there are thousands of religious nut jobs here stupefying their kids’ minds with really weird beliefs. These kids go to church and prayer meetings at least 12 hours a week and have to spend another 14 hours a week in Bible study in their homes. The next Albert Einstein might be huddled over that Bible but no one will ever know it. What is really pitiful is that these parents subject their kids to 26 hours a week of this drivel, and I say drivel because it teaches them only that Jesus is coming tonight or tomorrow morning and to obey, obey, obey. Don’t think, just obey. That’s child abuse of the worst kind. If these “parents” spent as much time letting their kids learn something that will help them in real life I would cut them some slack but, parents, you are just plain old brainwashing your kids. Shame on you.

I’m following all your relatives and moving to Ala Moana beach on Wednesday. To all you that are stuck here, or genuinely love the CNMI, and all its citizens, not just Chamorros, I bid adieu. I haven’t met a single person in four months that does, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t at least one here. To you 600-plus students that I personally talked to, you 600 that aren’t curious about anything, have no creativity, no dreams or aspirations, except to “get the f**k out of here,” I wish you well. If all of you would YouTube “classrooms” in your grade level, you 600 could force real change in the 1950’s curriculum you are stuck with. The 20 that told me later that they had, sorry, you just aren’t enough to effect change. I should probably apologize now to the four people that can carry on a conversation for more than 30 seconds, since you are actually staying here in the good old CNMI.
To the other 50,000 that have absolutely no control over your destiny, Chamorros and all other islanders, Asians, Filipinos, haole and all others, this election is about the future of the CNMI as a “functioning democracy” or a “racists and hypocritical society.” The choice is clear to any “thinking” person. Unfortunately there are only 50 people that think, and they are the same 50 that have all the money and have controlled everything since 1978, so you’re f**ked. As my hero, Ava Peron, said in her movie, don’t cry for me CNMI. Just think, the CNMI had an Ava Peron once and you ran her out. Shame on you CNMI women for letting that happen.

Ala Moana beach calls and I must go. The reason I’m going is because in Honolulu, everyone is equal and it’s a good feeling. Here, you have 20 percent of the population, devoid of humanity, morality, integrity, compassion, ethics, character, empathy or any sense of dignity, but with all the rights of the good old U.S. of A., lording it over the other 80 percent who have absolutely no more rights than Jews had in Nazi Germany. Since most of you think that’s just fine, that makes all of you some very sick puppies. Not speaking out against your fellow man’s inhumanity to others is just as bad as perpetrating it yourselves. Shame on you. Thanks for the memories CNMI.

DPL says 3,000 on list for homesteads, here is a solution
Take back all homesteads that are not being lived on by the homesteader. Should be real easy to check. In Kagman, there are a hundred or so empty lots, the old 1,000 sqm lots. Cut them in half. Then repossess all the “rented” lots. Repossess the lots with shacks, not real houses, which are over two years old. You will probably have 1,000 new lots to give out to qualified people. Do that in Koblerville and Garapan, and you just might have enough lots for everyone. I know several of the infamous 50 have more than one lot in Kagman and they are renting them out. Isn’t renting out homestead and keeping homestead lots for over two years without building on them against the law? You need to be careful, though, you will run into more than a few relatives breaking the law. Those caught renting out their lots should be sued and be forced to reimburse the CNMI for all the rent they ever received.

I see some smiling faces on billboards I used to see in Mabini
Riding around on my bike, I see about a hundred smiling faces of people I’ve never met, looking down from “please vote for me” signs. A couple of the older guys kinda look familiar and I think I know why. I lived in Mabini from ’91 to ’96. Mabini had over 400 clubs and bars along a four-block stretch of Mabini and Del Pilar streets. It was the sex capital of the Philippines until Mayor Lim closed it down in ’95. During the time I lived in the middle of it, I saw guys from all over the world, thousands of them every night and day, many of them from Saipan. These were mainly government officials, “on official business” of course. Department heads, Legislature members, a governor or ex-governor or two and government consultants were there in force. I’d sometimes see the same guys twice a month, all on some kind of per diem, throwing $100 bills around like I did $1 bills. Those direct Continental flights sure were convenient. Quite a few haole lawyers were there also.

The point of this is that you voters are just as uninformed and stupid now as you were over 20 years ago when your “government officials” spent $2 million or more of your money on wine, women, and song. Get smart this election. Twenty of you, under 40, running for the House need to band together and make a statement to the voters about what you will promise to do, if a majority of you are elected. If any 20 of you young people have any sense of community or responsibility, or ethics, if you even know what that means, you will do it. Then support one of the independents. Grow some balls, guys. Time to really put all the U.S. citizens of the CNMI first, not just Chamorros, or at least the half that haven’t moved on to greener pastures. Get informed voters.

Speaking of travel, do you know how much PSS spent on useless travel last year? You will be unpleasantly surprised. Almost all of those trips could have been done on Skype or Google+. It could have paid for a majority of all CNMI medical referrals. Think about that. People are sick and dying while your government officials run off on non-essential trips. Think about that.

Gary DuBrall
Chalan Piao, Saipan