By Ambrose M. Bennett – Activist
THE Truth is, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. only wanted OUR nation to live up to its “CREED” of “All Men being Created Equal,” which is the basic expectation of mankind “in a state of nature.” Dr. King KNEW that America is supposed to be a “nation of laws” and not a nation of “permissive injustices.” The founders of America even WARNED & WROTE in the Federalist Papers how WE the People are HEAVILY dependent upon “informed and active public criticism & protest to maintain a HEALTHY Democracy,” which is WHY there continues to be protest across America. Trump is fighting back against Criticism & Protest with ICE & National Guard and even using the DOJ for HIS enforcement to prosecute & kill protesters like Ms. Renee Good and ALL of Trump’s political oppositionist to create an atmosphere of FEAR. Heck, the CNMI is facing “economic shambles” under Republicans & fake Independent Republicans’ rule and yet there isn’t so much as a “whisper of criticism & protest,” as CEDA, MVA & the Chamber and even the sponsor(s) of the MLK Day Protest are AFRAID of Republicans. WE practice the simple accountability of “What WE Have Done & Failed to Do” with ourselves on Sunday but how soon soooo many forget this accountability also applies to Leaders on Monday! If WE don’t “Say & Do Something (protest)” then they will continue to sit using silence for a platform to keep sitting — too many leaders have been playing this poli-tricking game for entirely too long! Dr. King was adamant about “holding leaders accountable” and I pray this reminder HELPS us ALL in the CNMI to do a BETTER job of holding OUR leaders ACCOUNTABLE. Thanks Dr. King for your service & sacrifice, as you will forever be a beacon of LIGHT FOR the People and OUR Already Great Nation, as up PROVED to be Right that “Injustice ANYWHERE,” including the CNMI, “is a threat to JUSTICE EVERYWHERE”!
I’m sure Dr. King would agree that what empowers OUR Leaders to be “Silent and Do TAYA is OUR own Silence” which “Gives Permission to their Injustices.” OUR Silence even implies the PEOPLE are Complicit (happy with the economic failures). FYI example readers, Ambrodamus has more Economic knowledge in my pinky finger than Clyde Norita’s body, yet he’s some kind of Senior Economic Advisor — political favoritism like the raise for a relative! Heck, the last two previous Governors even fictitiously hired me, Ambrodamus, to help them with the Cannabis & Hemp Industries. However, I wised-up to their plan to only keep me from writing in the paper. Truth-be-Told, it was a waste of the People’s money to try & buy my silence while never intending to apply my advice-now Cannabis in the Red & No Hemp Industry!
The CNMI Republicans have used their “smear & bigotry campaigns,” just like Trump is doing on the mainland, to make it so that No One is brave enough to say “Ambrose M. Bennett is or was RIGHT about anything” creating a “stumbling-block to Progress. Citizens & the business sector, as I can truly HELP the Hotels, Cannabis & Hemp, but they are simply AFRAID! Ambrodamus, Zaldy & Mr. Jang collectively offered a PLETHORA of things that would HELP the CNMI and no one could say they were ALL wrong, bad or worthless. However, I know the many voters who are open minded & objective can see and know BETTER, but they are AFRAID too! In fact, the only things accomplished in trying to neutralize me was the “Failure to Do any Progress FOR the People” and a “Silent Citizenry allowed them to continue to Sit for Doing TAYA.” WE the People have been our own WORSE enemy to a large degree falling for the Same-O Republican Poli-tricks! FYI Voters, if you truly CARE about the CNMI, then please take 15 minutes to go down the list of people in the Legislature and “ask yourself “What has this official done for me lately,” as your own answer should tell you if it’s time for them to Go or to Sit AGAIN! I KNOW most of the answers will be TAYA, and I’m sure Dr. King would say something to the effect of “letting your own conscious be your guide, not Party, friends & extended family” — B.S. Heck they push their family connections BEFORE offering ANY solutions — poli-tricking! In fact, WE have a pending Republican Primary and yet there isn’t a whisper on their detailed plans to fix the economy, just running & using silence to SIT, when or if there’s a Debate!
Greatness can’t be made as it only happens when the conditions are set for greatness as Greatness is right around the corner waiting for that “once every 100-years GREAT Leader”! The CNMI has experienced some very good leaders like Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio who served 3 terms. However, given the destitute conditions in the CNMI, greatness is demanded & waiting for a GREAT Leader made of the “Right Stuff” to Reform the CNMI for the BETTER! As Albert Einstein once said, “you can’t fix a problem with the same mind-set & attitude that caused the problem” — Republican Conservatism when WE need Liberal Minds & Actions. I’m sure those on the mainland and most of the CNMI agree that Republicans have “RUINED-It,” which is WHY it’s VITAL to our very existence for CNMI Dems to Come-Alive or at least an “Independent Democrat” for Governor. In fact, the reason WE now have so many Independents in the CNMI is because the Republicans have “Messed-Up so badly” and Democrats are a “No Show” after shooting themselves in the head trying to hit Ambrodamus with a “blackball” — it is so pathetic! So, will WE get a Great Governor, or the Same-O is the biggest question for 2026!
Today is MLK Day, which is “a Day-On and not a Day-Off” and Ambrodamus is honoring Dr. King & John Lewis with this Op ed “Fighting the Good Fight and Making Good Trouble FOR the People OF the CNMI”! I don’t care about those bigots who don’t like nor want my help, as this is “MY Island TOO” as long as I’m standing on American Soil! A Happy MLK Day to ALL and please help me & the CNMI to Keep the Dream Alive in 2026!
One People, One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett 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-Lifetime Humanities & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
