While I agree that we have to get the facts before we jump to conclusions or pass judgment, I do not believe that the unauthorized release of a detainee can be justified or that the situation can be sugar-coated or even covered up. Nor do I believe that a chronic back ache is a good enough excuse to “bend the rules” and abuse your power, even with permission from proper authorities. It simply was not an emergency situation. And whether or not the detainee was ordered to the governor’s private residence, the bottom line is that the request was made, otherwise she would not have been released at all to give that massage.
Furthermore, being “humane” does not mean we should allow anyone to break the rules. We are a community and are all affected. Nonetheless, it is our highest elected official, of all people, who should lead by example and uphold the law along with the rest of us. And although we are all not perfect, no one should be above the law, regardless of the fact that we care about each other. Rules were set in place as guidelines for us to follow, mostly to protect us as a whole. In addition, being Christian does not mean we compromise our integrity and condone unethical behavior or actions.
Though I may be thought of as childish for voicing my “opinion” at this point in time, I call it freedom of speech — my constitutional right. We all have opinions and I do not think we should be called “rabble rousers” for exercising this right. We do not necessarily have to agree with one another. I believe that a long forgotten fact is that we, the people, through our votes and as a whole, are the ones who gave power to our current leaders, to do exactly what their titles entail — REPRESENT each and every one of us; and they need to do it right. I hope that these representatives continue to have the best interests of the people at heart and not personal gain, and prove it through their hard work and actions so that they can earn the people’s trust once again.
We are an intelligent and strong community and no matter what political party we may be affiliated with, we are not blind to the fact that an inappropriate act did take place. We do not know if it can be called illegal at his time, but we do know that it was wrong. I believe that we should all remain unbiased and open-minded, and keep our eyes peeled for the FACTS so we are not misled. The community should be ready to face these facts and deal with them head on, instead of turning the other way and allowing corruption and misrepresentation to continue. We are a small community but our voices are loud enough to be heard around the world. Ask yourself if this is the type of representation you were counting on and what kind of message we are sending to the rest of the world.
SINA REYES
Dandan, Saipan
