When you get stuck along Beach Road, better take the Middle Road. This is a website for those who choose to tread Saipan's off the beaten path. * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * + * +

Dec 7, 2007

Highs and LOWS of the March



Well, aside from seeing Saipan Blogger taking some shots during yesterday afternoon's rally, I would say that it was very elating for me to see at least 6,000 of nonresident workers and supporters during yesterday's march.

I will post some photos and videos soon but let me get this out of my chest first. I lost my wallet during the rally. I felt my back pocket suddenly I remembered my wallet. I asked my partner if I had left it at home but I was so sure that I had in my pocket when I joined the rally. My wallet was a rip curl long black wallet. In it were my driver's license, check cards, SS card and other cards.

Again I was a victim of theft and I ask myself why always me?

I felt bad because I went to the rally to support it but this happened to me. What can I say but feel bad. I had my cards there and my $200 from my first art commission I earned this week.

Kudos to the rallyists. Yeah. To whoever stole my wallet. What goes around comes back around.

The Reveler

123 comments:

Envelop Ideas said...

My sympathy to your lost wallet.

glend558 said...

A year from now you will remember the march, the wallet won't matter.

Anonymous said...

It'd be sad if someone picked your pocket since that ruins the otherwise great purpose of everyone else's being there.

I hope you find your wallet.

Anonymous said...

glend558 thanks for that. that kinda eased my pain this morning aside from calling the banks for my lost cards.

great to see you at the rally glend558. Now I can put a face in the name. My you are tall.

;-)

Lil' Hammerhead said...

Alright.. I need some clarity. How is it that an estimated 10,000 people went to the Nievera concert, but you've estimated 6,000 at yesterday's Unity March. I went to both. It was more than clear that the numbers of folks at the Unity March far outnumbered the crowd at the Nievera concert. If the Nievera crowd was 10000, there had to be 15000 yesterday at minimum.

Anonymous said...

the AMP amphitheater's capacity is around 3,000, the theater was obviously filled more than that. there were people outside the theater as well. counting the people by block by a hundred made me come up with "at least" 6,000.

the Nievera concert was held on a flat field where counting the crowd at least the estimates was easier.

Anonymous said...

Inspirational. Last night was truly amazing. I spoke to many of my kababayans and they attended the Nievera concert and said that this Unity March easily surpassed it.

Wow. At this point, it doesn't matter what Saipan Blogger does anymore. Let him spew hatred, animosity, and pretend that the contract workers are invisible. What Saipan Blogger fails to realize is that people are not measured up by wealth, stature, citizenship, or color. They are measured by character. If you inflict pain upon people, intentionally or unintentionally, you obviously need to look deep within yourself and see that what you are doing is wrong.

No one doubts Saipan Blogger's intelligence or his talent. What I doubt is his sincerity and his ability to do good not for recognition, but to do good for the sake of doing good.

Saipan Blogger, Tina Sablan does good. Those estimated 10,000 invisible workers did DAMN GOOD. This island is nothing without them. They are not aliens, they are friends, and I treat them as such.

I laughed yesterday when there were a few hecklers above Rakuen who shouted "Go home Asians!" Actually, my dad laughed because he is Caucasian. As they say that, they go back to their home that was built by Asians, most likely drive a car built by Asians, use a computer manufactured by Asians, and have their clothes washed by Asians. Come to think of it, their clothes were also probably made in Asia. I don't bother with hecklers like that because they don't know any better. Saipan Blogger, you have the intelligence to do better. Do you have the heart? That is all I ask.

Saipan Blogger, I challenge you from this point on to stop taking cheap shots at people and attack people strictly on the issues. If you can do that, you just may win over the hearts and minds of people. People want to be inspired. Tina Sablan inspires. Do you?

For all of you who joined us at the Unity March, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Remember, this is only the beginning.

Rev, I'm so sorry about your wallet. Things happen in life that are tragic, but I believe exactly what Glend558 said.

I am inspired. Thank you, God bless. Saipan Blogger, fill your heart with love. Go out today and compliment people. Buy someone a gift. Extend an olive branch and work on helping people, not belittling them. As a Christian, I pray for you. As a human being with human emotions, I sometimes become agitated with you and strike back at you. But two wrongs will never make a right. As Mahatma Ghandi says, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind."

God bless you Saipan Blogger. I believe you have the power to do great things that go above and beyond Beautify CNMI. You and only are in charge of your destiny. Best wishes...

Ed Propst

Anonymous said...

just to clarify, when i mentioned Sblogger here, I meant "aside from" seeing him yesterday, I meant that on a positive note, which made my day happy as well yesterday. for the record, i have no animosity against him as a person. ;-)

Ed, that was a great speech.

congratulations to all!

Anonymous said...

Great comments Ed. Rev, your hair stood out in the crowd and so I noticed you (and I had to scram before you took my photo). I also saw Mr. Doutrich for the first time.

Now I only need to discover who Lil Hammerhead and Pragmatic Plato are.

My Kababayan missus was very happy about the whole thing and so dinner was much better than when we missed Martin's concert.

FoM said...

it was an amazing sight.

i would guess we started out with just about 2000 at kilili beach. as the march headed down the road the mass of people encouraged others to join. i witnessed people pulling their cars over and hopping out to join in. i witnessed groups of employees standing in front of their workplace turn and run in to switch shirts and come out and join in as we passed. i witnessed families that had been situated on the side of the road hop in. people walking on the path switch over and join in. people on bikes join in.

i was in the front as the march began. by the time we hit the turn to american memorial park there were around 500 people ahead of me. these were the people that hopped in front. so many others factored into the body of the march. i walked off to the side on a few occasions to try and gauge the size of the march. i would guess that by the time we got to the park the march had doubled in size and must have contained at least 4000 people. as we turned into the amphitheater we realized that there was a huge mass of people already at the amphitheater. all the seating was filled and their were lights shinning out from the stage. we slowed up unsure of whether their was another event going on and perhaps we had arrived to early (around 7pm by now having left at 4:50). if the amphitheater contains around 1500 seated and it was over flowing i would guess that there were around 2000 people already there and waiting at the park.

so adding the 4000 marchers with the 2000 there. i would guess when the two converged we were around 6000 strong. i also noticed many cars were pulling up and people were coming over as the speeches were going on. factoring them in i would guess that the number to be around 6,000 or 7,000. the crowd fluctuated throughout the night due to people needing to get transported back to kilili.

i know many are talking about the nivera concert. i do not know why anyone would even try to compare the two. it is apples and oranges. my guys did the sound and lighting for this event and have done many, many concerts. they guestimated there to be around 4000 people at that concert.

the march was a formality. the fundamental spirit or purpose of the march was gained before the first shoe hit the pavement.

finally the people are speaking.

this is a great start.

glen hunter

Anonymous said...

This post is already in the record books. Angelo's taking hits without even making a comment, yet? Glad the march went well and sorry about your wallet, rev. three or six, you all did well for an event without free beer ads.

Angelo Villagomez said...

Ed, I'm amazed that you are so concerned with what I do. Thanks for reading.

I did not take any pot shots at the March.

If you are talking about my guess of 3000, how is that a potshot?

I'm not the lowest or the highest, I'm right in the middle. My estimate is based on the length of the parade, the number of people I saw as I rode up and down the street on my scooter, and the capacity of the Amphitheater, which is 1200.

3000 is a very large number of people, concerts aside. Be proud.

More people in the US watch the Super Bowl than vote. Does that mean nobody in the US cares about their future?

(don't answer that)

In the end, it could have been 30 or 30,000. All that matters is a few people make something change.

I've made a few suggestions over on my blog, a few of them critical and a few of them positive.

Whether you care to admit it or not, I think you have listened to some of those criticisms. You've certainly read them. I've seen the rhetoric in the papers change over the last few weeks, a move towards the middle.

Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Angelo Villagomez said...

...and if I really was the heartless jerk you and two of your friends think I am, why would I bother to post pictures of the event?

From the last picture on my post about the March, it is plain to see that there were lots of people.

Feel free to click on the link and count them for me.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

..And of course, feel free to let sblogger continue to inch his way back into that corner that one here finds nearly impossible to extract oneself.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

Yep.. your hair stood out Rev:)

As I said, I was at both events and it was clear the crowd at this one was considerably larger. That 3000 capacity inside the AMP was easily doubled. The stands had folks squeezed in, the back wall, the burms the front grass and concrete area and the stage were full. The side areas of the stage were full. The front of the museum and the front side of the AMP administrative building were packed as well. Again, having attended a number of events at the park, this was well over 6000 people.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

And if you're referring to me as one of "Ed's Friends" Sblogger.. I don't even know Ed personally.

Angelo Villagomez said...

Seriously, what is your fetish with Brad, Jeff, and me?

None of us are even against what you are trying to do. With varying degrees we disagree with some of your demands and some of your rhetoric, but we all supported the March.

Bruce is on his own. I take no responsibility for the drunken face of evil.

glend558 said...

OK, I'll throw in my estimate. The size of the seating X3 If seating is 2000 the croud would have been 6000. Just my observation.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

I have nothing against Brad. He's okay in my book.

With you.. well you're an ignoramous, who, in my observations posted little smartass off-topic comments for months that I did not respond to at all. Then you decided it was time to be an ass to me and call me and another blogger "dumb". She whined, so you apologized.. I didn't whine.. Your ignorant, an ass, and a smartass.. and not to bright either.

As far as Jeff goes, I didn't have any problem with him, until he started deleting comments that were not attacks on him, but spoke directly to the content of his post. He did this more than a few times and that was about enough of his biased nonsense for me. I decided to call him out on his positions a couple of times and he got pissed, we had at it.. and wala!

----
Does that help to clear things up for you Sblogger?

Anonymous said...

Did you mean to use "You're?"

saipanboonieman said...

here we go again,...... 100 posts here we come! :-P

Lil' Hammerhead said...

:) Thanks for not calling me "dumb" noni.

Sorry boonie.. duracell bunny. Wind me up..

Anonymous said...

geez, my hair stood out and i didn't get to see yours Lil. well, apparently not only my hair that stood out even my wallet did i guess.

thanks G for the comment! congrats to u2.

Anonymous said...

ey let's not drag other people's names esp those that don't participate that much on this blog. let's keep them in peace. k, lil? ;-)

uhm...oh well....

Envelop Ideas said...

He was there, but only to take pictures or maybe for photo oppurtunity, or counting the marchers perhaps.

But why bother? His words doesn't have much weight anyways.

glend558 said...

Lil sounds like you are your own fiesty, kick ass self again..
Glad you are feeling better!

Lil' Hammerhead said...

:)

Anonymous said...

I want to keep the march on a very high note, but I just wonder why none of our elected officials aside from Tina joined. It was very nice to see Rep. Ray Yumul and YCO donate and hand out water though.

Is it because many who joined the march could not vote? I wish that our elected officials would realize that they represent every person in the CNMI, not just the people who voted for them.

And I'm also saddened to see our dear leaders put forth a gambling bill so soon after an election which rejected casino gambling. Where were the public hearings on this?

When will our leaders realize that we have to concentrate on the basics of tourism? Hawaii doesn't have organized gambling, yet millions visit them every year.

Perhaps MVA and our leaders should take lessons from Pacific Islands Club. Did you know that they were booked at 117% and their occupancy rate continues to soar in the 90's? They are kicking ass! Obviously they know how to market their hotel better than we know how to market our islands. What an incredible job Kanae Quinn and Elly Stoilova and the rest of PIC does.

Sorry, rambling again. Anyway, it's Sunday, so have fun at the beach and have fun with your family.

The Unity March is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. But like Tina said, "It's just the beginning..."

Regards,
Ed Propst

Anonymous said...

hope the video helps the high...

perhaps MVA should get PIC's brains on marketing?

Angelo Villagomez said...

That gambling bill will never pass the Senate. It needs 75% to pass because they are in a lame duck session.

It would require all of Saipan, Rota, and one Tinian Senator to vote Yes. Not gonna happen.

Anonymous said...

let's pray our legislators don't get bought...

Anonymous said...

If there are photos of the crowd, it should be possible to do estimates based on density, especially at the amphitheater.

Envelop Ideas said...

Regular Bloggers Famous Quotes:

“At best it is an exercise in futility. On a neutral scale it might generate a few more members at $100 a pop for the fearless leader.”

“good luck out there. i will most likely watch, but i won't be part of a sidewalk parade.”

“what are they trying to prove?”

“Dekada was claiming 2000-5000 participants. They were lucky if they had 250.”

You guys are inspiring....

Truth is stinging, isn't it?

On Saipan said...

ouch

Lil' Hammerhead said...

The point is not whether it will pass or not. The point is, these idiots have the nerve to try to pass something like that, right after the people clearly voted against expanding gambling. It's wrong. Wasting their time and our money, and spitting on us while they do it.

saipanboonieman said...

Re: ed's post on our leaders

Well i didnt see it personally, but a friend who also marched informed me this evening that one of our "great" leaders was courageous enough to stand along the march path and foto and videotape march participants. many were intimidated enough to hide their faces. he took particular interest in US expats. guess introducing and passing resolutions against them wasnt enough for mr. torres?

Anonymous said...

I guess there's a better chance of Goru Cruz winning an election than our leaders learning from all their screw ups.

Hmmm, speaking of Gregorioriorio Cruz, you need to read his letter to the editor. Absolutely a must read. ContraDICKtion should be his middle name...

Read his letter in the Tribune. Frickin hilarious. I laughed so hard I cried.

TAOTAO TAYA! Why is it that Greg Cruz doesn't go out and get a real job? He complains about guest workers and says they are not wanted here, but the guy is so frickin lazy he can't get a job. Skilled or unskilled, the chances of someone hiring Goru Cruz are slim to none. He might end up bringing his video camera and investigating the company for nonsense. Goru, you are a funny guy. PREBA HAO! lol.

EARTH to GORU: They have GED courses up at NMC. Get a high school diploma and then take some basic courses and in twenty years you may graduate with an AA degree.

Anonymous said...

New Poll:

How insane is Greg Cruz, leader of Taotao Taya?

A. More insane than Saddam Hussein.

B. More insane than fluoridated water.

C. More insane than Legislators passing a gambling bill right after the CNMI rejected Casino Gambling.

D. More insane than an edumacated haole.

E. More insane than marrying a first cousin.

F. More insane than saying "I have over 2,500 members in Taotao Taya, but I only got 150 votes in Kagman because the election was fixed."

G. More insane than having a ghost writer writing for him because he writes at a fifth grade level.

H. More insane than attacking Tina Sablan because he is so sore from getting spanked in the elections (150 votes? Jack Angello got more votes than Goru).

I. More insane than saying he is not predudiced or racist, but in the very next sentence saying "to all you so-called educated mainlanders, mind your own business and stop meddling in our local affairs."

J. More insane than a person who has no degree or special skills but decides to become a videographer and scientist by checking out all the water companies.

K. More insane than a person who wants CUC to lower their fuel surcharge immediately without offering any alternative solution or finding alternative money.

L. More insane than a Rotanese speed bump.

M. More insane than a "persona non grata" writer.

N. More insane than 150 of his cousins who actually voted for him.

O. More insane than a person who contradicts himself with every sentence his ghost writer writes.

P. More insane than a PL15-108 supporter.

Q. More insane than a PL15-108 author.

R. More insane than Legislators believing Taotao Taya actually had 2,500 supporters.

S. More insane than going to Porky's. Boycott Porky's!

T. More insane than bloggers against PL15-108

U. More insane than an idiot BigSUCKSfan who lives in Mongolia and threatens to shoot someone.

V. More insane than a boulder.

W. More insane than fluoridated water mixed with pugua.

X. More insane than Taotao Taya followers.

Y. More insane than politicians supporting Taotao Taya.

Z. A through Y.

Anonymous said...

Lol! Greg Cruz is the bomb dude! Haven't you heard? He's running for Governor. His platform: Go home CONTRACT WORKERS! You are not welcome here!"

Anonymous said...

What's the difference between a lawyer and an attorney?

An attorney actually passes the bar exam.

Anonymous said...

G - Gorgeous

R - Respectful

E - Educated

G - Gigantic

C - Cool under pressure

R - Responsible

U - Understanding

Z - Zero brainpower.

On Saipan said...

im sorry but i can't help laugh at the ABC stuff. my, you had time to write about that? (im still laughing out loud here)

saipanboonieman said...

re:"E - More insane than marrying your first cousin"


Hey man! what's wrong with that? It's part of our culture man! Respect our culture! :-P

Lil' Hammerhead said...

this is hilarious

Brad Ruszala said...

falling out of my chair...


and rev,

just to try and get a handle on the true number of people who attended, i went to an objective source.

last night i spoke with the editor of the tribune (a friend of mine and longtime guest worker from the rp).

he both participated in the march and stuck around for the festivities at the amp.

when i asked him for the straight scoop on the number of attendees he told me that "of course if you are an organizer you will say there were 6,000 people or something but there were more like 2-3,000 people there."

he told me that the crowd at the amp was constantly in flux as many were coming or going throughout the evening and that at any one time the crowd totaled 3,000.

he said that the total amount of people who came and went throughout the night was probably closer to the 6,000 figure at best.

the way i see it, the size of the crowd really doesn't matter because it was a victory for the freedom of expression under the first amendment.

Anonymous said...

If you want to see how Taotao Taya preaches hatred and racism, you have to see this video. They are Saipan's version of the KKK. Copy and paste this into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/swf/cps.swf?datatype=playlist&data=9B4D4218100AC105&eurl=http%3A//email.secureserver.net/webmail.php%3Flogin%3D1

Scroll all the say to the right when you copy it. Damn, Greg Cruz says "This is our land, and don't you forget it!" Wow, a Chamorro RACIST.

Biba SATAN!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, broken link.

Try this one:

http://www.youtube.com/p/
9B4D4218100AC105

Taotao Taya, you preach racism and division where others preach unity and love. Did you not get enough love growing up?

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/swf/cps.swf?datatype=playlist&data=9B4D4218100AC105&eurl=


Disgusting!

Marianas Pride said...

I just saw the link. Yes, it's sensationalizing hatred. But may I tell you all to stop talking about Greg Cruz? The more you speak of him the more you give him validity. Don't single him out. Just talk about the issues rather than the person behind it. I think that is more important. If we keep preaching about unity, love, respect, kindness, how can we ever go wrong?

P.S. I'm using my undeveloped blog now so people can't use my name for slanderous things. If it doesn't have my name on the top, then it isn't kosher...haha.

Marianas Pride said...

I just checked out a lot of your blogs people. Damn, how do you guys do it? Do you ever sleep? Lol. Just kidding. What an awesome way to communicate and speak on issues. Blogging is becoming more addictive than my PS3. Okay, I won't go that far...

Brad Ruszala said...

i didn't think people with that much hate could read much less use a computer to make a video like that.

Marianas Pride said...

LOL! I'm still trying to find out who the "minority group of educated mainlanders" are.

I think what a lot of the hatemongers need is a hug.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." – Martin Luther King Jr.

Anonymous said...

all you need in this world is love...

and pugua...

and some beer...

and a case of spam.

-Local Proverb

Brad Ruszala said...

wasn't that john lennon santos deleon guerrero?

Pragmatic Plato said...

Birth of a new hate group: TTT

Here are excerpts for your toilet reading:

"Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is the name of several past and present organizations in the United States that have advocated white supremacy, anti-Semitism, anti-Catholicism, racism, homophobia, anti-Communism and nativism. These organizations have often used terrorism, violence, and acts of intimidation, such as cross burning and lynching, to oppress African Americans and other social or ethnic groups."

"Nativism is an opposition to immigration which originated in United States politics. Although opposition to immigration is inherent to any country with immigration, the term nativism has a specific meaning. Strictly speaking, nativism distinguishes between Americans who were born in the United States, and individuals who have immigrated - 'first generation' immigrants. A similar distinction is relevant in other European-settled countries, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In many other countries, a person with foreign-born parents would also be considered a 'foreigner' or an 'immigrant'. Not all opposition to immigration in the United States is concerned with this distinction, but nativism has become a general term for 'opposition to immigration' based on fears the immigrants do not share supposedly American values."


Will we never learn?

Stop this now.

Boycott Porky's!

PP

Anonymous said...

Thank you Plato. Great info and insight.

Anonymous said...

Since the American Memorial Park amphitheater seats 1200 officially, 3000 seems like a good estimate to me.

saipanboonieman said...

man, of all the negative publicity from all the garment cases, human trafficking/forced prostitution cases, and labor abuse cases, TTT just topped them all with that junk!

i am chamorro. they do not represent me. i am embarrased by the rhetoric spewing from these people. the have done a greater disservice to the honor of our taotao mona than all of the human rights/labor abuse cases put together.

saipanboonieman said...

just to clarify, i agree with them on the cuc issue and others. but the "go home", "this is our land" crap is just pure racist bs.

Pragmatic Plato said...

I don't agree with them on the CUC issue.
We need to stop the knee jerk reactions. Those are what got us into the mess we are in.

We need to start looking for long-term solutions.

If he gives a damn about the situation at CUC, invest his time into looking for solutions not lobbying our legislators to reduce rates arbitrarily.

Boycott Porky's!

PP

Anonymous said...

Thank you Plato. Great info and insight.

Jasmin said...

I'm just very curious. In his Variety editorial today, Greg Cruz of Taotao Tano seems to believe that Tina Sablan is the rep for Asian and White voters. Now, are there really 1,000 Asian and White voters in district 1? Could we have carried that election on our own? I find it impossible that no indigenous voters would have been included in that number. He makes it seem that Tina, in no way, represents even one indigenous person.

Jasmin said...

And another thing... has anybody else noticed that Greg Cruz has suddenly developed writing skills way above his pre-high school achievement level? On a more serious note, though, seems to me that his letters have taken on a Cinta-Kaipatesque quality of late... hmmm.... must be the teacher in me noticing these things.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

If that writing is way above his writing capability.. I'd hate to see something he's written himself.

There's a spot on the Taotao Tano site that is hilarious. They put out some list of folks who have spoken out against TTT.. next to the list, there is in parentheses "white", "filipino", etc. Only there is no etc. They've only listed those they consider white and/or filipino. They didn't list the Bishop, Tina, Ephraim, or anyone else whose spoken against TTT or the local labor law. Racist garbage.

saipanboonieman said...

PP:

i know what you mean about the knee-jerk reactions.

what i was talking about is that i agree with him that we have to find a way to provide relief to those poor that are really suffering with their power bills. it breaks my heart that people (chamorro, carolinian, filipino, white, whatever) are being forced to choose between paying their power bill or providing something decent for their children to eat.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

I agree boonie. I don't believe in simply reducing the power rates without addressing the real problems of CUC and power generation here in general. This will just compound the problem in the long term. We need to look seriously at CUC and a solution to this mess. Power rates are the cause of the most harm to our businesses and our residents.

Considering the low pay and current economic situation, we do need to look into some type of a program or scheme to assist those that simply can't make the most basic of payments. My concern with such a scheme is that it will be abused. That's not to say such a program, in my opinion, shouldn't be looked into. Maybe our government needs to address this with the federal government, through programs like LIHEAP?

Anonymous said...

Brad the Tribune editor didn't go to the amphitheater because he was busy closing the paper and by the time he got to the park, if ever he really went there, the people had dissipated.

he only saw the march.

If he believes so, he should've not allowed his reporter wrote 6,000 in the paper. where's the credibility there now?

from someone who was a reporter like you saying those things, really surprised me for a long time now....

Anonymous said...

and also, when i did my reporting on people turnout, especially on concerts i based it on ticket sales and invited guest lists. the martin nievera concert was estimated by the organizer obviously....

Anonymous said...

If you like, I can forward you some of the pics of the crowd and you can try to count heads to get a better estimate on exactly how many people attended. The answer is, "Who cares?"

Someone says 10,000, and another says 3,000. The point is people of all colors came together in the spirit of unity. Isn't that what the Unity March was about?

I pray for Greg Cruz and that he may one day wise up and realize that preaching hatred, division, and racism only creates more hatred, division, and racism.

If Greg is truly Taotao Tano and believes in his culture, then isn't Christianity a part of his culture? Did he totally forget Jesus' teachings of "Love thy neighbor?"

Why can't we all look at one's character instead of one's nationality?

Hatred begets hatred, ignorance begets ignorance.

Brad Ruszala said...

"Brad the Tribune editor didn't go to the amphitheater because he was busy closing the paper and by the time he got to the park, if ever he really went there, the people had dissipated."

your use of "if" speaks that you aren't sure. i was relaying what he told me, and he said that he not only went to the amp but was at the concert and compared the numbers.

either way, it doesn't matter. ed is right. who cares? i'll just paste what i said before.

"the way i see it, the size of the crowd really doesn't matter because it was a victory for the freedom of expression under the first amendment."

still love ya, rev. and sorry about your wallet. i lost mine during the micro games and two little local kids brought it back to me hours later with everything in it.

i treated them to anything they wanted from the concession stand while we watched the baseball finals between the cnmi and guam.

i hope the same happens for you...

Lil' Hammerhead said...

And where was KSPN?

Envelop Ideas said...

brats... i've told you before and let me rimind you again... stop hanging under the comfort shade of a grapevine, do the research yourself next time....

peace to all...

Anonymous said...

People who have their wallets stolen are prone to over-estimate crowd sizes.

Anonymous said...

i was pretty sure, i mean pretty and sure that the editor didn't go to the AMP. i've known him and im sure you do too.

oh, about my wallet, i will treat who ever might have found him. i do great massage ;-) but no kids allowed. they can keep the money... ;-)

Marianas Pride said...

http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=K5C8UFjOzlk

Copy and paste the link to your browser and check out our slideshow of the Unity March. You can look at the crowds and count the number of people if it makes you happy...

I was disappointed that KSPN did not put anything at all about the march. Not one mention last night. Hmmm, wonder why? Perhaps the Unity March just wasn't newsworthy material...



Regards,
Ed

Anonymous said...

Great video, Ed. Great choice of Lennon's "Imagine" song.

Marianas Pride said...

Thanks so much. My nephew Derek Gersonde put it together and Armando Anasan was the photographer.

Regards,
Ed

Brad Ruszala said...

"brats... i've told you before and let me rimind you again... stop hanging under the comfort shade of a grapevine, do the research yourself next time...."

ha ha ha

you're right.

what can i say? i missed it. otherwise i would tell you what i saw and you could poke holes in my estimates.

as for now, after watching ed's video, i know there was nothing close to 10,000 people.

there were thousands, for sure. just a lot closer to 3-4,000 (at the high end) inside and maybe another 1-2,000 outside (out of the picture).

but the number isn't as important as the message...

FoM said...

brad,

ed's photos capture various moments throughout a 6 hour period. there is one shot that clearly shows a line down beach road 4-5 people wide as far as the eye can see.

when i reached garapan people were still just passing quartermaster.

i believe there were around 6,000 or more throughout the entire evening.

the only way that a true estimate could be made is with aerial shots of the entire event. i will make sure we get aerials of the unity fest.

glen hunter

saipanboonieman said...

and ill be sure to wear a red and white striped, long-sleeved shirt and a red and white striped knit cap so we could play "where's waldo"!

Anonymous said...

We've already had the beautiful woman behind the Best Blog on Saipan in a Boycott Porky's shirt!

It's funny that the best lawyer on Saipan for those too desperate to worry about malpractice insurance is so easily fooled by the L & T estimate of 10,000 at the Nivera concert. (!)

Lil' Hammerhead said...

Haha.. I didn't wear my shirt that night. But I saw the woman you're talking about.

Lil' Hammerhead said...

Haha.. I didn't wear my shirt that night. But I saw the woman you're talking about.

Anonymous said...

You insult TTT's writing, but look at G. He writes like a retard, worse than TTT.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, TTT doesn't write. They have a ghost writer. Goru Cruz writes like a third grader. Wait...an illiterate third grader. Wait, an illiterate third grader who has been retained three times. Wait, an illiterate third grader who has been retained three times who is a racist because he learned to be racist from watching http://www.youtube.com/taotaocnmi.

Preba Hao! While I am Chamoru and originally from Guam, I can honestly tell you that not all of my brethren agree with Goru. Well, maybe 100 of his cousins and family do. But that is far from the 3,000 members he claims he has.

Goru Cruz means well, but he got caught up with the wrong people influencing him.

Anonymous said...

actually, i heard that greg cruz married his first cousin...not a joke.

Anonymous said...

uhmm...i believe the post is about the Unity March....;-) and the video...and my wallet. ;-(

we were surprised to see Mr. Woodruff in our blog...;-)

Anonymous said...

To TTT President, this is what Judge Govendo said in his interview with Mr. Turbitt:

"In my opinion, the only thing that will give us an opportunity to save ourselves is federalization of immigration."

Even this long-time resident, well educated and very well informed of local issues, is married to a local, finds that we need federalization to rid the NMI of many criminal elements.

So, what say you, Goru?

Marianas Pride said...

I had a nice talk with a friend of mine about TTT earlier today. He empathized with TTT and Greg Cruz and felt he was trying to protect the indigenous rights. But after watching the "We're not gonna take it" racist video, he quickly changed his mind.

The "us against them" mentality is another example of ignorance. My closest friends are my closest friends because of their character, not because of their nationality. In the wise words of HG Wells, "My nationality is mankind."

May peace prevail on this fine earth!

-Ed Propst

saipanboonieman said...

^^^ your look like a pirate in your foto!!! AAAARRRGGGHHH!

saipanboonieman said...

seriously though,

just heard that the US House passed their version of ISLA. anyone know if they put back the non-immigrant status provision?

Anonymous said...

yeah. but the congress website (www.house.gov) doesn't say about the passing of the bill but only the debate and the meeting.

justice seeker said...

"we were surprised to see Mr. Woodruff in our blog...;-)"

Where there are open minds and hearts and serious discussion, I am honored to be present.

Rev, I hope you get your wallet back. I am so sorry that happened to you on the Unity March.

BTW, your video and PDM's have been forwarded to Senators Akaka, Inouye, Bingham, and Murkowski, Representatives Abercrombie and Hirono, Al Stayman, Honolulu newspapers, Guam PDN, local reporters and newspapers, and the Huffington Post by Bruce Jorgensen, together with the (contrasting) TTT oh-so-edifying "music" video.

Mr. Jorgensen is the lawyer who sued the CNMI government and the US State Department to force the establishment of refugee and asylum protections in the CNMI. He is a Hawaii resident (old kamaaina family) and former law clerk to Judge Munson. He took the links I sent him in response to an email to me about the TTT video, and shot off the aforementioned relay.

Congratulations to you and to Ed Probst on the wonderful work.

Steve Woodruff

Anonymous said...

thanks...wow...

i know that whatever happened to my wallet would be negligible (though i'm still sad) to what the march would bring the people that walked the long stretch of the Saipan 's Beach Road.

Anonymous said...

so it has been passed, the bill still has not cleared to NRWs hoping for grandfathering...I still hear from NRWs who keep on talking about the provision has been lifted that they would finally be absorbed here.

justice seeker said...

The bill as reported out by the committee, which is what passed, did not have the provision granting a special nonimmigrant status to long-term alien residents of the CNMI. That status is inferior to what really should be granted long-term alien residents here but is better than no status provision.

However, the bill contains a provision stating that the issue of status for long-term alien residents of the CNMI must be addressed within two years. That is a firm commitment that is a satisfactory first step. Consequently, we support the bill even in its present form.

Dekada does not have an official position on what the Senate should do. The Senate bill does not include the CNMI nonvoting delegate provision, and we support that provision, which is in the House bill.

In my humble personal opinion, prompt passage by the Senate of H.R. 3079 is the best way to go. That would fast track the legislation and could get it passed and signed into law before the New Year. Any other approach most probably would mean congressional action could not be completed until sometime next year.

There are two benefits to getting the law enacted quickly, as I see it. First, it will take us past what I would call "the federalization hurdle." Second, as soon as bill becomes law, aliens in the CNMI may be able to begin to realize some of the benefits and protections of Federal immigration law. Certainly it will give me and my professional colleagues more tools as lawyers.

As for the federalization hurdle, once it has been cleared, we can join hands with those who opposed federalization (other than any that remain stuck in reactionary mode) to make federalization work for the commonwealth (with both lowercase and capital "C").

Anonymous said...

Will this be still called Commonwealth when all this happens? ;-)

Anonymous said...

With DHS in charge of CNMI immigration it will be called anarchy.

Brad Ruszala said...

yes, but it will be color-coded anarchy!

Angelo Villagomez said...

100!

Anonymous said...

Why do you think it's going to be anarchy?

bigsoxfan said...

I've used this line before. Back in the '70's The Oakland A's baseball team were an interesting bunch. Their third baseman Sal Bando said this about their manager Alvin Dark: "He couldn't manage a meat market." DHS=A. Dark

saipanboonieman said...

if DHS=A. Dark, then CNMI=meat market? if that is the case, then maybe we should start going vegan?

Brad Ruszala said...

...but the a's turned things around soon after a young mc hammer became their batboy!

Anonymous said...

newsflash: taotao tano is planning a march to protest the unity march: it's called "the disunity march."

ttt is calling on all indigenous people to come together and show these "flips" that the indigenous people are sick and tired of you coming in to our islands and taking all our jobs. don't you know locals are desperately trying to seek employment as maids and farmers?

po laki so diablu, tan candalaria, when will the "flips" go back home? all they do on saipan is build houses and hotels and work hard. they are making us all look bad!

we want to be more edumakated more than the non-indigenous fan! pot fabot! stop taking our jobs you outsiders!

lolololol!

Marianas Pride said...

It is TTT's right to march just as much as it was ours. I would be curious to know what they plan to march about. Would it be to rally against non-indigenous people? While it is their right to assemble, I hope it is a positive message they will be sending.

I'm quite concerned about this whole indigenous vs. non-indigenous divide. Since I live here, will die here, and will get buried here, will my remains be dug up in 55 years since I'm not indigenous?

Any attorneys out there know the answer to this?

Also, since my children are only 33.5% indigenous (I'm haolepino and my wife is 75% Chamorro and 25% Japanese), should I make sure that my children only marry indigenous people to keep their "flesh of their flesh" blood pure?

Just some thoughts from me...

Anonymous said...

You meant 37.5%. :)

Marianas Pride said...

LOL! Man, this is why I had to take Calculus 3 times in college (the third time I had to bribe my college professor).

Anonymous said...

don't worry, fan. you'll be here long after the spamevores go extinct. then you'll be able to change the laws and keep your land as long as you like. even after you've passed.

by the way, how far do you think those fat ass pugua chewing smokers can march, anyway? how about poll on that?

Anonymous said...

uhmm...don't get me started....;-)

it would be just right to see both sides doing the march because it is just appropriate.

Anonymous said...

Chamorros aren't even "pure blood". Chamorros in fact are mostly of Filipino blood, with a few other sprinkles. I'm not sure if I remember right, but the last pure blood fmily pass away during the Spanish times.

Anonymous said...

it was 1968

Brady Barrineau said...

Here is what Hugo Chavez thinks of the march.

http://www.saipanuvian.blogspot.com

Lil' Hammerhead said...

:) He has some issues. I believe they may be related to his own business.

Hugo Chavez:) very funny Brady!

Brady Barrineau said...

Absolutely they are related to his business(s). I for one am not going to frequent his bar anymore on principle alone. It's not a bad bar, I just protest in different ways, and I protest way it hurts, the wallet.

Anonymous said...

Brady is really pragmatic plato.

Anonymous said...

Someone commented this about the video on YouTube:

AgentFearKiller (10 hours ago)
I guess these contract workers never ever want to go back home to their country where they' re needed the most to help improve their homeland. Sorry, but to fight for the right to live on someone else's land is a disgrace to your own people back home.

Anonymous said...

The Filipino people make up most of the world's foreign labor force. The reasons are easy: Educated, skilled and loyal. Yes, it's somewhat tragic that the Philippine Government makes money off of money made overseas, but I guess that is just the way it is. The problem is corruption. Compared to Nigeria, it's nothing, but when I see children sleeping card board in downtown Makati then large caravans of SUVs driving by, it' sad.

-Brady Barrineau
PS I am not Pragmatic Plato, but thanks anyway.

Anonymous said...

All the more reason then, Brady, for our Foreign National Workers to return home and do something about it!

The economy here cannot support the number of workers we have. There is no gainsaying that statement. Either U.S. citizens should move to Guam, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, or Foreign National Workers should move to China and the Philippines.

What the "Unity March" was really about is that the long-established guest workers want to slam the doors on their more recently-arrived compatriots and those who might follow them if the economy picks up again.

"I've got mine." Shame, shame!

Lil' Hammerhead said...

seeking justice you are not. Nobody wants to shut the doors on anyone dogwood. The fact is, some folks have roots and deep roots and some don't. That's what it's about. Stop being an idiot and use a few of those brain cells, or stop trying to twist the situation to fit an outcome you want to see.

If I moved somewhere and lived there for three or four years, that is a far cry from living there for nine, eleven, thirteen, twenty or more years, and in many cases having wives, children and grandchildren.

That long-term non-residents undercutting short-term non-residents is simply an argument created by the TTT batch to try to divide the non-residents. It's an idiotic argument that is perpetrated by idiots.

And now for my fig leaf.. Merry Christmas!

On Saipan said...

let's find our happy places for now....

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