America didn’t start great. Early America looked much like the old world. The wealth, land, and power were in the hands of a few and the uneducated masses labored in silence. Women were second class citizens or worse and even after a long bloody war ended the enslavement of African Americans; it would take another century before all Americans would be guaranteed to the right to vote. America wasn’t always great; the history of Native Americans is evidence of some ugly chapters.
America entered the twentieth century and not much had changed. Immigrant labor had no protections and industrial barons had become royalty in the New World. The working class was in the exact position of the third world today. The captains of industry controlled politicians and police like puppets, and two bit mobsters and their henchmen ruled by fear. Fire a few, threaten a few others, and the scared sheep were easy to control.
Many Americans that could vote do not. Perhaps many are busy with families, picnics, and golf outings while others are too lazy, genuinely don’t care, or feel “they have nothing for which to vote.”
When I heard the Covenant Party of Saipan was corrupting the polls with intimidation and stuffing the ballot boxes with early votes I wasn’t at all surprised, but I am disgusted by it nonetheless. Equally repulsing is that the governor has offered to pay CNMI government employees for Election Day, which is bribery, or large scale vote buying with public funds. Bribery is synonymous with the Northern Marianas Islands since we paid Jack Abramoff millions of dollars to bribe members of the U.S. House of Representatives to block federalization here to enrich garment companies. Finally, the decent citizens of the Northern Marianas islands earned their right to vote for representation in the United States Congress.
Even though Governor Fitial exerts undue influence in employment here, including our public schools, it is the responsibility of every U.S. citizen to vote and to protect that right for others, especially their privacy. America didn’t become great because of that stunning red, white, and blue ensign; America became great because of its citizens and whether or not the NMI becomes a great community will depend on the citizens here. It is each citizen’s duty and responsibility to report impropriety in the election process so that we can close the curtain and vote with absolute anonymity; nothing else is acceptable. I hope every registered voter in the CNMI casts their vote Tuesday so that our delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives can boast the highest percentage of voters of any state or territory.
RON HODGES
Puerto Rico, Saipan
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