It was reported by this news outlet that “leaders from Guam, the Northern Marianas, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa gathered at the nation's capital during the first plenary session under the Trump administration” on Feb. 19.
“‘I ask that you advocate for our territories the reconsideration of President Trump’s executive order of pausing federal aid to our islands in the Pacific,’ (Gov. Lou) Leon Guerrero said to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who presided over the session.”
“I am aware that exemptions have been granted but please monitor this closely and allow us the continued federal funding assistance,” she added.
Begging is demeaning, yet there the leaders were begging Burgum not to cut critical assistance. “The funding for these food, education, or housing programs are not ‘handouts’ but a ‘hand-up,’ intending to provide economic opportunities and self-reliance in the respective islands,” Guam Del. James Moylan said.
And then Leon Guerrero played her best card: “Guam undisputedly plays an
essential role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific theater and stands on the brink of a significant transformation,” noting that “the military population on island is expected to double over the next five to 10 years.”
But it’s more than housing that’s at risk. It’s the lives of the citizens.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has none of the experience required to manage and meet the demands of the government’s largest agency, “has ordered senior military and Defense Department officials to draw up plans to cut 8 percent from the defense budget over each of the next five years,” according to a report in the New York Times. Like the other cabinet appointees, his only credential is obeisance to the leader of MAGA.
The question is what cuts the Pacific command will be subjected to and how it will impact the safety and security of the people of Guam and its neighboring islands of CNMI, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau as the China-U.S. conflict continues to heat up.
It's interesting to note that the agencies that presidential advisor Elon Musk is eviscerating are those that have ongoing investigations against him. He has billions of dollars’ worth of government contracts in agencies that have been left largely untouched, including the Defense Department.
But what about the fraud that Musk asserts to have uncovered? Fake news. He has not uncovered any fraud thanks to the internal whistleblower departments and 17 independent inspectors general across various agencies charged with oversight of audits and investigations. Oh. Right. They’ve been fired, too.
My ancestors arrived in America in the late 17th century from England, Scotland and Wales. My DNA also reveals Germanic and Dutch connections.
They came filled with hope for a life of freedom from tyranny and religious persecution, settling in Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia where I now reside. They fought and some died in the Revolutionary War. It was said of Mary Gaston McClure (1712-1802) that she “had a fearless spirit, urging everyone to take up arms and sent forth her sons, sons-in-law and neighbors in the cause of freedom. All of her sons fought the battles of liberty on every field.”
That war was waged against England and its king, George III, who suffered from mental illness and was surrounded by sycophants. His illness changed his relationship with his devoted wife, Queen Charlotte, and they eventually lived separate lives. What’s that about history repeating itself?
According to British historian George Otto Trevelyan, King George was resolved "never to acknowledge the independence of the Americans, and to punish their contumacy by the indefinite prolongation of a war which promised to be eternal." He wanted to "keep the rebels harassed, anxious and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse.”
The current inhabitant of the Oval Office has declared himself king and is passively urging on Musk as he harasses and fires anyone within the government
who does not support the self-appointed king or his self-interests. Never mind the Constitution. It’s simply a bump in the road to be ignored. If they realize their dream, elections will be a thing of the past.
I have now assumed the same mantle of resistance passed on by my brave ancestors. I do not have any sons or daughters, and my method is not a sword, a gun or a cannon; rather, it is the written word and showing up for events like the National Protest Day on Feb. 17, which saw thousands of demonstrators across the country march against the unlawful destruction of the Constitution that my ancestors fought and died for.
We cannot…we must not…allow one mentally ill man – a narcissistic convicted felon – and his cult followers to destroy what generations have built. It’s not perfect, but it is a democracy, warts and all, “of the people, by the people and for the people” as Abraham Lincoln said in his famous Gettysburg Address. Trump won the election by a razor-thin margin. More people voted for another candidate than voted for him. We must keep that in mind as we move forward.
The leaders of U.S. territories should not need to beg for what has been approved, allocated and is owed to them. Nor should hardworking, nonpartisan government employees be tossed into the street on a moment’s notice. One of the signs at the protest in Charlottesville read, “My four kids lost a breadwinner! Save USAID!” What about you? Are you or someone you know in fear of receiving an email telling them to leave their job immediately?
And by the way, when they start applying for unemployment insurance, the economic impact will be immense.
Egg prices? “Forget about it,” to quote Tony Soprano. Not even in the conversation anymore.
Joyce McClure is a former senior marketing executive and former Peace Corps volunteer in Yap. Transitioning to freelance writing, she moved to Guam in 2021 and recently relocated back to the mainland. Send feedback to joycemcc62@yahoo.com
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