Ambrose M. Bennett
THE TRUTH of the matter is Ambrose M. Bennett has made his mark in the CNMI, if I have to say-so myself, as my mother told me that “sometimes you have to toot your own horn.” But I really want to make it “CLEAR” to my critics that I have done a lot to contribute, and I have offered more solutions than some and even MORE resolutions than MOST, only to fall on deaf ears that resulted in the many “I Told You So” reminders, like our parents used to do when WE didn’t listen. But it’s very different with adults and instead of having “good acceptance qualities” I have run into some of the most VENGEFUL people (in-power, not citizens) in my life since the racist days of living in Memphis during the Civil Rights Movement. I feel sorry for what the Local people have been FORCED to endure like “the TRICK with the Poker Machines that were supposed to have been in the hotels, the casino that was forced on the people, the waste and/or thief of over a billion dollars and the list goes-on.” The CNMI might very well not have the existing economic & money woes if THEY had only listened — LINDA!
I’ve been writing for over twenty years on Political, Social, Education & Economic issues and there has YET to be a single public challenge calling me a LIE, which speaks volumes to the fact that I have been telling readers the TRUTH for over 20 years. The problem is and has always been the fact that “I’m the FIRST who is not local and had the audacity to speak-up and hold local leaders accountable,” which has been highly appreciated by the average citizen but HATED by the very leaders I held accountable. But even in the face of bigotry driven adversity I’ve still been able to make my mark in the CNMI. I was the only one to sound the alarm 5 years in ADVANCE to prepare for the Garment Industry leaving and no one listened!!! I contributed to Education when I authored the first and only Social Studies Textbook based on the Marianas for Elementary students, my attempts and the only attempt to-date to help teachers gain their Federal Collective Bargaining Rights, my more recent contribution to the creation of our Cannabis Tourism Industry and hopefully a Hemp Industry in the future. Exercising VENGENCE has only hurt the People, but I know my VINDICATION will eventually rule, as one can’t talk CNMI’s recent history (1992 to present) without mentioning something Ambrose M. Bennett did or said in some positive way, as I never LIED!
But what’s getting me now is that WE are courting Japan and South Korea for our tourist markets where marijuana is illegal, which is WHY I’m sure there is no efforts to even mention the fact that the CNMI has a Cannabis Tourism Market — our hush hush industry, for TRUE! If the CNMI was ashamed of legalizing marijuana it should have never become a reality, but it did because there is overwhelming support for Cannabis Tourism. This is a case of “deer-in-headlights,” because IF or should I say WHEN because it’s going to happen when someone from one of these countries is caught re-entering their country with marijuana from Saipan — that’s when the Governor and the entire CNMI is going to go DUH! WE are going to look scandalous for not mentioning this fact to their government officials and assuring them that the CNMI is doing everything possible to prevent marijuana from leaving the CNMI, which WE are NOT doing now — no dog searches like Colorado. Japan & S. Korea may be ticking bombs and we look like deer caught in headlights waiting to be run-over or should I say, in trouble with these government.
Heck, WE have a Hotel Industry that seemingly wants China, but some are against our Cannabis Tourism Industry while they are crying about a 35% occupancy level, instead of learning the lessons of Colorado where Hotels advertise offering smoking rooms without mentioning marijuana as it is UNDERSTOOD — duh! WE can’t work together even under these trying-times that are teetering on being DESPERATE TIMES. Are the Hotels waiting on until they are almost dead to become a major player and start supporting OUR Cannabis Tourism Industry? Hotels don’t even offer a place for tourists to smoke, when they can actually help themselves & the CNMI. But go-figure when the hotels are making the biggest cry about the need for tourists — who’s next after the Hyatt is the question.
History has taught us all kinds of lessons about “trying to hide something, even from our kids, that eventually comes to the light.” History has also taught us that “those who don’t hide things and face-up to them are far more successful in dealing with these controversial and even illegal matters.” Our laws even make it virtually IMPOSSIBLE to conduct a public Cannabis Tourism Event which was my intentions and expectations when I wrote the first draft of the Law. WE should be handling our Cannabis Tourism Industry like real RESPONSIBLE ADULTS, and not conducting a bunch of hypocritical business efforts that has led to the industry costing the CNMI more than it is bringing in. WHEN will the powers-that-be GET IT, as it is going to take our legislature & Governor working in concert to truly REFORM our Cannabis Tourism Industry into being a real money-maker! 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 Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
