FEAR is one of the most “inhibiting forces of nature and mankind,” as fear serves to protect but it also serves to prevent “experimentation, exploration, innovation in our evolution.” Fear is relevant in many aspects of our lives but for this short essay fear will be the theme in our politics. Having taught fellow teachers in workshops for the Pacific Research Educational Laboratories on paradigm shifts in education is second nature for me and our politics. I think it is vital that voters understand how fear has been a real “political tactic” for over two decades. There has been everything used from the FEAR of Article XII be tampered with or trashed to the FEAR of Locals even listening to an outsider like myself — for TRUE! It has been FEAR that is actually inhibiting the economic and social progressive growth-rate that is needed to keep-up with the rest of the world, especially with our American counterparts on the mainland.
“Fortune favors the brave,” which was a Roman slogan and it’s true wisdom. If we are too afraid to seek and ask investors to create a “Theme Park” in the CNMI, then guess what — if you never ask or try, no investor will ever have the chance to say yes! If we are afraid of the potential pain in growing the CNMI, then there will never be any prosperity gain, as “no-pain = no-gain.” We call it growing pains for our youth but it is also true with societies like the CNMI that is challenged to grow economically and socially. The challenge in the CNMI has always been the ability to overcome the FEAR-of-CHANGE! One of the main reasons Ralph and Arnold still have supporters is the fact that their supporters don’t want CHANGE!
During his close to seven years as governor, Ralph has governed over 2-billion in Federal Funds and over a 1-billion in Local Budgets yet the CNMI’s economy is nearly dead with only two bubbles to show for his efforts to fix our economy and nothing to improve our lives. But Ralph wants voters to be afraid of the House, as if WE are stupid. Arnold has been around for 40-plus years and I beg to ask, if you have been riding a horse or in a car for 40 years you would think it’s really time to CHANGE for something NEW & BETTER! The question is “are WE the People going to carpe diem” or WE are doomed to continue with same OLD leadership, that has used FEAR & Families to stay in power. But there is nothing to FEAR with Tina, which is why Arnold & Ralph are only stoking FEAR and attacking each other!
There have been seismic paradigm shifts in cultures through-out human history, the time is now at hand for the CNMI to either face our fears and vote for real CHANGE or relinquish our hope for a better CNMI to the OLD. For sure, nothing will be the same with Tina as it was under Ralph & Arnold, as she will be the first woman and the first Democrat in over two decades with a different mindset and character. Our economy has been a political-football using FEAR to stay in control for over two decades while Locals are literally being chased away to the mainland. Government employees have been living in FEAR of retaliation, Retirees in FEAR of no checks, the 9,976 Registered NMDs can’t get a penny of their money and it’s just going to be a never-ending merry-go-round of FEAR until voters figuratively decide to get-off and ride something NEW & BETTER with Tina!
One People One Direction for NEW & BETTER Leaders!
The writer is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
