I think an attitude that sees problems instead of opportunities could be a problem. The youth, especially in the CNMI, should recognize the wealth of possibilities before them despite the bad economy and the petty politics on Capital Hill. (“The youth,” a very wise man once said, “sees no darkness ahead, no trap that has no escape. It forgets that there is such a thing as failure in the world and believes that mankind has been waiting, all these centuries, for him or her to come and be the liberator of truth and energy and beauty.”)
As an American citizen, you receive mostly free or, through federal assistance, quite affordable healthcare benefits that are pretty extensive. Your public school system, compared to what the Third World has, is a haven for learning. Small class size, air-conditioned classrooms, teachers that must be certified as highly qualified, free transportation, free meals, free laptops, curriculum that must meet U.S. standards, libraries, gyms, etc. Over the years, I have met a lot, and I mean, a lot, of public high school students in the CNMI whose talents and brilliance are undeniable.
As a high school graduate of the CNMI, moreover, you can go to college, if you so choose. You are offered a wide array of scholarships to help you and your parents pay the cost. You should also remember that your nation has the world’s best colleges and universities. If you excel as a student, you may study in any of those famous institutions.
Sure, there are break-ins, theft and domestic violence in the CNMI, but, generally speaking, it remains a safe and peaceful community where most of the people are kind, generous and hospitable. The weather is nice (unless there are typhoons which, happily, do not visit the islands frequently) and the environment is clean and beautiful.
The only obstacle to progress I see here is the small-island scarcity mentality among the TT relics who, despite their age, are still sucking on the now withered teats of victimhood and resentment.
Fortunately, no one among the CNMI youth shares the hopeless parochialism of some of these political dinosaurs. The youth knows they live on an island of a great country where they can be what they want to be.
Indeed, nothing — not the real or imagined horrors perpetrated in the past by foreigners long dead and gone; no, not even the incompetence of your elected officials nor “culture” — prevents you from acquiring the intellectual curiosity, the discipline, the focus and the willingness to work hard so you can achieve your goals. It’s all up to you.
You will make mistakes, of course. You will be disappointed. You will even have your heart broken. But you can always start all over again.
You are, to be sure, unhappy with the status quo. You say your government must do something. But what else can this government do? Hasn’t it done enough damage already? Perhaps we should all figure out what it should stop doing and what citizens should be doing more. That could result in meaningful changes.
But real change takes time and all you can do right now is to speak your mind, vote with your head, protect your integrity, respect the will of the majority, defend the rights of the minority, cherish your community and always have compassion for the unfortunate.
Believe me, you have to grow old to appreciate some of the things that now bore you or that you take for granted, which include your elders. So please be more patient with them. They actually care and want only the best for you. And what they tell you now, they wish they knew when they, when we, were as young as you are.
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