Because I hardly think that the Friends of Marpi represent the voice of the people. After all, they seem to conveniently ignore the much larger group of people who may benefit from the project.
These include the hundreds of Chamorros and Carolinians who for many years past continue to be on the homestead waiting list. And if you include their dependents, this group is likely to be in the thousands. I don’t think they have the luxury to oppose the development of the area. Power poles, no matter how ugly they may be to the Friends of Marpi, may bring them one step closer to homeownership.
I’m not talking about homesteads right next to suicide cliff, as they may lead you to believe. There is already a place in Marpi designated for homesteads and it’s not next to Suicide Cliff, Banzai Cliff, or Bird Island. Although Marpi is indeed a beautiful, historical, and scenic place, the Friends of Marpi seem to predict that the area would be forever destroyed by homesteads or any other kind of development.
Do they also believe then that certain places on Saipan like Kagman are destroyed, because of development? There are many power poles in Kagman, but I hardly think it spoils the beauty of the area. In fact, we have the power poles to thank for making Kagman High School, a school with a million dollar view, a reality. We also have the “ugly” power poles to thank for providing a practical means of providing electricity to the many homes in the area that thousands of people now enjoy.
The truth is, today, many, many more people are able to enjoy the scenic views and beauty of the area. Had a similar group like “Friends of Kagman” succeeded in opposing development in the area, what a shame that would have been; there would be fewer homes on the market, higher prices for homes, and more of us would be paying rent instead of investing in our homes.
But perhaps that is of no concern to the Friends of Marpi. Just take a look at those who signed the online petition. Many of those who signed the petition are not even Chamorro or Carolinian nor are many from Saipan. I’m not trying to make this a racial issue, but I find it appropriate to remind everyone that it would be those with fewer means and more to lose who would potentially suffer the most.
The more affluent people who have the word “leisure” in their schedules would benefit the most by continuing to enjoy the Marpi area to themselves with their bicycles and walking and hiking buddies. These activities would still be possible with development and there is no reason to make them exclusive. Why not let the indigenous people enjoy the Marpi area too with their homes and their families?
Although the Friends of Marpi may claim to not be opposed to any kind of development and that they just want to carefully plan its development, their insensitive actions smell awfully similar to extreme environmentalism and snob zoning, both of which are not in harmony with the interests and needs of many of my fellow islanders.
Let’s remind ourselves, environmentalists, past and present, have been dead wrong about their predictions and the Friends of Marpi is no exception. To trust them, their standards, and their ideals would simply be dangerous.
So I encourage everyone to take a stand and be heard.
CARL F. DELA CRUZ
Mt. Tapochau, Saipan
