The great Andre Young once said: “So give me one more platinum plaque and fuck rap, you can have it back.” An obvious reference to how much things have changed in rap from when he first started out. He just wants to get his and leave it alone. That’s how I see President Obama’s announcement today where he plans to expand existing Marine National Monuments in the world’s biggest preserve. He wants his legacy out of the presidency and fuck the U.S. you can have it back.
Problem is, why expand existing monuments? So much trouble going on with the oceans in the Atlantic and he is focusing on the Pacific? We have the only four Marine National Monuments under protection in areas where people have a very difficult time to get to because of their remoteness, and are already labeled “pristine.” So why the Pacific? Because even though the majority of the EEZ is in the Pacific, the islands only have 2 Senators and 2 voting Representatives in Congress.
It is a classic case of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). They want to protect the ocean (I get it, so do I) but they would rather do it where there isn’t going to be opposition. Not because no one is against it, but because there are no lobbyists or millions of people knocking on dozens of congressional doors. Out of sight, out of mind.
And truly, the Pacific Islands have been out of sight and out of mind for so long that we should have become accustomed to it right? Need a place to test nuclear weapons? Try Bikini, there are only a few brown people there, we can move them somewhere else. Sand and palm trees are the same everywhere right? How about a bombing range? We have this island close to Pearl Harbor that no one is using, just unload your shells until we can swindle the CNMI out of FDM and then we can feel good for “giving back” to the native Hawaiians. Ocean acidification and climate change is going to raise sea levels and kill corals? We have a bunch in the Pacific, so put them on the Endangered Species list because that will help, even though it may affect the everyday lives of people just trying to go out there and make a living or get food for their family.
Meanwhile, terrorism continues against the US; higher education is getting to be only affordable by the rich; gun violence increases everyday; renewable energy is being shunned; jobs continue to be exported, etc. Mr. President, you claim to like rap so please listen: We got 99 problems but the ocean ain’t number one.
Island Beer Union 