Where are we heading?

Written by Mohner A. Esiel

Friday, 13 November 2009

Dear Editor:     We just went through another political process by electing the right leader who we trust will help steer Pohnpei during these admittedly perilous times.  We should know by now a specific, reasonable and convincing road map to guide us tout of the present economic sadness and onto a better life.  The question we all should be asking is; do we have it?  Ask the average Pohnpeian and he will just give you that broad smile.  Whether it is a strength or weakness in our character, a valuable asset or a negligible liability, it is the charming face of the average Pohnpeian perceived by the selected that leads them to continuously behave so complacently and go on their merry old ways of politicking amidst the present and upsetting crises.  It is really hard to examine what’s behind that seemingly unreadable face.  But one can readily sense a creeping hopelessness akin to that feeling of being adrift in the middle of nowhere.  I just hope it will not turn into a feeling of anger that would erupt like waking of a sleeping monster.     My feeling is that we should not test the Pohnpeian patience to the limits.  It should be realized that we are fast trailing that credibility so necessary at this time.  This is a more disastrous crisis facing the FSM, Pohnpei in particular, that is being hit hard as a result of the disparity in our economic base formula distribution on our local revenues.  And, it is produced by excessive and ill-influenced political principles.  Politics used to have a good connotation.  But for us in Pohnpei today, it has disapprovingly acquired a meaning that is synonymous with the use of power, position or issues for some gain or advantage without regard to what is right or just of the common good.  Hence, today we may be inclined to believe that politicians are usually known as men with watered down principles, inequitable, or for the good others.     On the contrary, if I may, we always point to the government and blame it on the rise of uncertainties we have assured by the selected.  Sure, it can be contributors to the cause of all these problems, but I thing we ourselves are to be blamed for not speaking out.  We, to speak it in terms of change of direction, change in leadership, a change of spirit and heart for a better opportunity.  If we only talk, write, read about it and remain unmoved about everything, on the face of it they remain as representatives of the few, for the few and because of the few, so to speak. Mohner A. Esiel

Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 December 2009 )