So what do I think? The United States should not have colonies. It goes against everything our values stand for. I don't mean the cynical values ascribed to the United States by liberals, like military domination, consumerism, and capitalism, I mean the idealistic values outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I think it is right and good for Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands to internally assess their political situation to decide if the situation is working for our respective people.
With that said, I think the political status commission on Saipan could have been designed to represent the people better. All of the members were appointed by the current governor and I do not believe the full membership represents our community, or has any enough expertise regarding the issues of decolonization, history, or government. I think the membership should be expanded and the members should be elected, not selected.
For some historical context on how the Northern Marianas became a Commonwealth in political union with the United States, I offer a letter from my father penned in 1976 days after the Covenant was approved by the U.S. Senate. It is part of the collection of his letters contained within Hafa Gachong: Letters to the Commonwealth.
February 27, 1976
This is a time to rejoice and a time to celebrate. It is a time to laugh and a time to cry. Congratulations to the people of the Marianas for acquiring what they were made to believe they wanted and congratulations to the United States of America for successfully acquiring a new territory; a small territory which will support and strengthen its military power and influence in the Pacific World and the Far East.
For the people of the Marianas, let us extend a warm congratulations for the many things which they can now be proud of. They can be proud that two-thirds of Tinian, part of Saipan and the whole island north of Saipan now belong to the U.S. military. These lands will be reserved for contingent U.S. military installations and activities. Lord, pray for us.
The people of the Marianas can be proud that they have become a minority out of 220,000,000 people rather than a minority out of 100,000 people.
Similarly, they can be proud for becoming second-class citizens under a strange flag rather than noble citizens under their previous native flag. I am sure that they cherish more the concept of being inferior to the “mainlanders” than superior to the “district people.”
It is common knowledge that the people of the Marianas believe themselves to be superior to the people from other districts of Micronesia and inferior to Americans.
Furthermore, the people of the Marianas can be proud that they are now not represented in their national legislature (U.S. Congress) as they were in the Congress of Micronesia.
Whereas, Saipan was the capital of Micronesia, now it is a military stop-over; way out in the Pacific Ocean and only a handful of people ever get to see their great capital, the District of Columbia.
Whereas, the people of the Marianas had priority to any employment before becoming a commonwealth of the U.S., now they do not. Any qualified U.S. citizen is equally entitled to any job in the Marianas as the citizens thereof.
The people of the Marianas can be proud of that. It means that many Marianas citizens will get skinned alive when competing for jobs.
However, the people of the Marianas can obviously see something in the commonwealth status which is worth more than anything else. They can see MONEY ($).
Money has to be the most important and powerful thing for them. It is more important than brotherhood or sisterhood or family relationship. It is more important than love or religion.
It is MONEY which is breaking up homes and family ties on our small islands. It is greed for MONEY which is turning our people cold and bitter. It is greed for money which has caused our people to forget who they are, what is their identity, and to beg for commonwealth status. That they can be proud of and be congratulated for.
Nevertheless, it is money which our people have been praying for, and it is money which they are about to receive. Thanks to Uncle Sam. It is money which he has plenty of, and it is money with which he has purchased us.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!