Auntie Charo's Soapbox

Today's Jon Anderson reported that Jess Torres, GM at the airport decided to 'move'(relocate) some artwork that the council of the arts and humanities arranged to display at the arrival section of the international airport. The artwork was to be displayed for three months. The artwork supposedly depicts friendships between Chamorros and Japanese soldiers during World War II. Since I didn't see the display, I can't describe that one could have realized this friendship, knowing only that the art described a scene during WWII between the Japanese and a Chamorro native, unless of course the soldier had the native in an embrace. K57 reported that the art work was up for four days until a Japanese tour operator complained about the art work, the tourists finding the work offensive, a reminder of a painful time.
K57's reporter Valerie Maige(sp) interviewed Jess Torres who said that he didn't take the art work down because it was offensive. He said that he is merely moving the art work to a place where it can be viewed by more than just those arriving on island. The folks at the council of arts and humanities are upset because the display was moved and because they weren't informed about it.
I wish that Mr. Torres had said that he moved the art work because it offended the tourists and that our means of support lies with the Japanese tourist market and when a Japanese tour operator tells us that his groups are offended by art work that meets his guests as they deplane then it's right and proper that we remove what offends them.
I love that someone could put on a canvas the friendships between a soldier and a capturee...but the child, or grandchild of a soldier who might have fought in this war, coming to this island to honeymoon or vacation surely would not want to be reminded of this war...certainly not immediately after he gets off the airplane. I have to agree with the man who moved the display.....that was not the place....nor is this the time for the reminder for what happened sixty-one years ago.
We really have to get our act together. We either want the Japanese to come to Guam or not. We have to decide if we want them to come and spend their money at GPO, DFS, buy trinkets at Jeff's Pirate Cove and at the Wednesday Night Market and where ever else it is that we want them to spend their money.....surely we seem to want them, why else do we keep sending the governor, Tony Lamorena, now Gerry Perez to Japan to convince them that Guam is the place to visit.......that being said.......let's figure a way to show them how we appreciate their coming here instead of going elsewhere, let's show them some real Hafa Adai spirit....lessons in art work? They've forgotten more than we'll ever learn....The artwork they're interested in are of Latte Stone and the flying Proa.......perhaps even the Taotaomona....there's no luring them into anything WWII no matter how poignant the folks at the council think the artwork is.....
Biba Jess.......Biba Japanese tourists, Biba Guam!