Samoans pride themselves on respect and religion yet if one to judge by comments on PeterVandever.com, they would think they were completely violent people.  Because I am a local in American Samoa and live among many people who are native to Samoa as well as Tonga, Fiji, and other islands; I know this not to be true.

I have counted over 1,200 hateful comments from Samoans mostly from IP addresses in the mainland, New Zealand, and Australia concerning my views of fa`lavelaves and Fa`a Samoa. Most people who comment are more of the position of, “Hey, we don’t really care for it much either but it is what it is.”

However, I have never seen a Samoan in Samoa or American Samoa ever show one bit of physical offense towards me.Samoan tend to disagree respectfully. I have had several people come to me over the last few weeks expressing concerns about my blog, including a governmental official.

It is true that I have little grace for Fa`a Samoa and namely Fa`alavelaves. It is the greatest source of poverty in American Samoa and about every person on island that I know agrees that they are “way out of hand.” It is very hard to give donations every time someone get marries, dies or any special event when you are working for $5.45 an hour. (Thanks for the Congressman and Governor) There should regulation on Fa`lavelaves to protect the people and the matai should be taxed for them as earned income!!!

The truth is few people disagree with me concerning what I believe about Fa`lavelaves. They just can’t take it from a white person. They see everything that is “white” as an attack of historical culture.

Now about culture? Culture in general, no matter what culture it is, is nothing more than slavery and mind control. Believe me, Flipino culture is just as gay as Fa`a Samoa. (Samoan culture is very tightly connected to the Flipino culture in ancient times) I detest Flipino culture completely and totally. In fact, 90% of the reason I do not live in the Philippines is I can not stand the culture. As a Flipino, I can not live on the edge of the culture like I do in American Samoa. I have to live in the culture and I am forced to embrace it.

In the end, the disrespect I get on my blog’ comments is not what I know from being friends with Samoans and people living in American Samoa. I have found to be nice and civil even when they disagree. Anyone who comes to me to discuss the issues facing American Samoa in a civil and logical matter always understand why I think and blog the way I do.

If anyone want to meet with me sometime and openly and honestly look at the issues of poverty and Fa`lavelaves in American Samoa; I am more than happy to sit down and discuss them. However, I will not engage violent of uncivil responses.