On speaking your mind

I wrote the following a few months ago, and hesitated to post it because of my limited understanding of local politics and a concern about misrepresenting what the admiral said.

Since then, though, local elections have heated up, and these issues are even more in the news.  Guam does not participate in the presidential election, although military members and dependents like myself send in absentee ballots. (I've learned that the local ballots include the presidential candidates' names.  Guam has correctly chosen the winner of the presidential election in every race except when Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter.)  But elections are big news here, and candidates for mayor and local government representatives from each village are chosen, along with a nonvoting representative elected to US Congress.

The issues mentioned below, decolonization and the marine build-up, are still being debated.  I sometimes get the feeling that the US is sometimes seen as a military imperialist power.  It's uncomfortable to be in that position as an American who is supposed to promote freedom. I wonder if giving Guam a voice in the presidential elections would be a step toward its full participation in American citizenship. I still appreciate the Admiral's confidence in speaking out on the issues, but also wonder what compromises could be made. It seems to me that America needs Guam as much as Guam needs America.

***********************************************************************************

From August: One of the pleasures of military life is the opportunity to attend the frequent ceremonial events: hail and farewells, retirements, balls, changes of command, etc. This summer has been a busy one for turnover, there have been a number of change of command ceremonies.  They follow a similar format: the band plays as guests are seated, the important officers are officially piped in, an MC makes introductions, and important person makes a keynote speech. Then the outgoing commander gives a speech thanking everyone, the incoming commander gives a speech about how excited he is to be here, and the chaplain intones a final prayer. Finally, the commanders are piped out, and guests adjourn for snacks. The officers wear dress white uniforms, ladies get dressed up, and the civilian men here wear their best Hawaiian shirts or the Filippino barong.

As much fun as pomp and circumstance are, the refreshments are often the most memorable part of the event.  What is said by the speakers is usually forgettable.  But last month’s turnover between admirals was a little more exciting. The outgoing admiral's speech was critical of recent political discussions in Guam. We were squirming in our seats because the key players - lieutenant governor, senator, local representatives, mayors – were all present.

He actually touched on two controversies: The military build-up that has stalled and recent calls for Guam independence or self-determination.  The build-up has had a mixed reception here. Some locals support it, some do not. Some people perhaps acted like they opposed it in order to get concessions from the federal government, and now that no money at all might show up, they are supporting it.

The politicians are indirect in stating their opinions. They keep calling for more studies. There is some land in dispute for a shooting range that is near a popular hiking route. And there are concerns about the infrastructure and impact on the island from the potential increase in personnel.

Meanwhile, the calls by some Guamanians for self-determination and an end to colonization seem to be more of a younger person thing. I’m not in touch enough with the local political scene to be familiar with the dialogue about it, but I can see both sides. The US is far away, and perhaps some people feel like the government is using the island just for its strategic location for the military.

On the other hand, Guam gets a lot of money from the federal government.  The military also provides a lot of jobs.  And it sends a lot of people from the mainland who spend money. People from Guam with money for a plane ticket can come to the mainland for educational opportunities. Economically, it’s a good deal for Guam.  Environmentally and culturally the build-up might have a mixed impact, although I get a feeling that it’s people from the mainland who drive some of the sustainable future moves.

The admiral was clear about stating what he thought: the build-up is a good thing; de-colonization is not. And he has done a thorough study of history to support his opinions. About de-colonization: “That decision was made 50 years ago.”  Guam sent a representative to congress for some years, with instructions not to come back until Guam was officially a colony.  He pointed out that more Marines died on the shores of Guam than at Guadalcanal. The military here are willing to put their lives at stake for Guam and defend its shores again if necessary. They’ve built it back after typhoons and would do so again. He seemed confident that the military gives as much as it gets from Guam.

He also made it clear that the local government, without the aid of the federal government, would do very little to bring economic stability to the island.  He pointed out how much land the local government owns but does nothing with, including quite a bit of property handed over by the US government with habitable living quarters, which now are abandoned and rotting away (where my sons like to play pellet gun wars).  He accused the local government of caving in to a few activists on the build-up, and now it was time to “man up.” 

Here's the local write up with photos.

The admiral must have felt free to speak his mind after serving here years ago and again as commander of the region.  He knows Guam pretty well. And he knows his history extremely well. He’s been promoted to a three-star admiral, and he’s going to a war zone next. Why not say what he thinks? 

I'm typically a coward about speaking out.  Part of this is because I don't feel strongly enough about some issues. Sometimes I can see both sides. Other times I just don't see room for convincing someone to change a viewpoint. (For instance, Facebook posts are not going to win converts.) 

So I admire that the Admiral didn’t soft pedal his ideas.  He used humor but was direct. No one got up to leave; no one hissed. But I noticed several people besides myself looking around, thinking, “Did he really just say that?”  And I noticed that the local officials didn’t stay for the snacks, which were VERY good – fresh fruit, sushi, wontons, grilled kabobs, and delicious desserts.  Maybe they were offended, or maybe they just had other business to attend to.  Happily, they left those of us who did stay plenty to indulge in.