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“SERVING TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE”

Dear Editor,

Generation X of ASG Employees (Baby boomers, those born or raised during 1961-1981):

Must you be selfish with all the information and knowledge you gained during the past years? Must you choose to rise above instead of helping everyone rise with you? Must you take pride in OLD procedures and reject new changes that are needed for the betterment of this government? Must you be offended when asked a simple question concerning checks and balances? or compliance? or even concerns of taxpayers' money? 

Please take it upon yourselves that you sent my generation, Generation Y (those born or raised from 1982-1995) to school to learn school, school, and more school (figuratively speaking). We are forever grateful for your hard work in the past for we have been given everything you had wished to have when you were young. We know it wasn't easy for your parents either, and we are forever in your debt.

But please know that the world is moving towards a technological future, and in our schools, trainings, and other means of education, we are being taught using these new technologies. 

Thanks to our forefathers, we have been blessed to receive such blessings from America to operate at the level that we do. But lately we haven't been so lucky.

My generation comes back to a struggling government.

Yes, every government struggles, but our islands are so small for such great "struggles." We've gotten so comfortable with all the blessings from America, and to simply put what’s been happening... we've abused our power of living free. Years of abuse, and it starts from the entry level employees, all the way to the leaders. But that’s a whole 'nother story.

I ask you Generation X & Generation Y: Ae a pe a tatou galulue faatasi? I respect my elders with all my heart, and I know that some of these young'ins are a threat to your traditions, jobs, pride, etc... what ever you want to call it. We will never be able to do all that you have done, we are not as wise as you are. But what my generation lacks is your guidance as a good leader and an elder. We need you as much as you need us. We need your help with tradition, and you need our help with the changes. 

We need to fix this place; somewhere along the lines, we lost the spirit of being "Employees." Slowly, we deteriorated the meaning of being Hard, Smart Workers.

Today, hardly any Departments/divisions recognize "employee of the month" or give incentives to those who perform well. The simple recognition of good hard working employees has turned hasty and political. Gossip has taken control of our individual characters! I bet many of you directors/leaders can't figure out who's a great employee because gossip has already made that person look bad, just for the heck of it. 

Where are the teachings of our Sunday School Teachers, Sunday Pastor Sermons, and Bible Studies? America let us keep our land, culture, and religion. We're lucky we didn't get the Americans that overthrew Hawaii's kingdom! Where would we be then? We're lucky the Lord spared our people.

We need to take time to look at the efforts of our forefathers who signed the Deed of Cession in 1900, those who made decisions at the Constitutional Conventions of '67, '86, and 2010, and the many Paramount Chiefs, Senators, Faipule, and Governors whose decisions were solely for the purpose of a better future for their generation and generations to come.

Where has that spirit gone? Do we still have hope? Or do we continue down this path of slow internal destruction? 

I give credit to those employees who still work for the purpose of building a better government, and to those who choose to follow rules and regulations of the Feds. My hats off to those leaders who are servants — those who choose to serve than sit pretty. 

The solution has already been given to us in plain text of the Bible, and in our faith as Christians. 

American Samoa, the solution for a better tomorrow, in my opinion, is TO BECOME SERVANTS (better yet, humble servants).

Do not let your pride blind you from what this message is truly about. I reference this solution to when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. When the Son of Man, the Son of the God who gave us Life, a King, washed the feet of 12 men, one who betrayed him, another who denied him, and others who were confused of their own faith.

I am not asking you to be Jesus, I am asking you to believe in the message and lesson He's left for us. Let us humble ourselves and serve FOR the love of our people and the future of our children, AND NOT for self gain.

We will be rewarded for whole-hearted hard work. I am not asking for everyone to be religious, again, it is the lesson to be learned. No one, including myself is blameless, but we can KEEP TRYING to do the right thing as a territory....

Alofaaga mo oe Amerika Samoa,

Dee Yandall... a hopeful Citizen/ASG Employee