She said that both “everything and nothing” was different after the harsh dialogue:

“We are geopolitical playthings. We know too well the consequences of war and have perfected our responses. So what’s different? For me? This time I cried. And I keep crying because a new truth emerged for me that has amplified the feeling of death: Not only are we political pawns, we are inconsequential to most of the U.S.”

She added: “What else is different? The reactions are so much more. More vocal. More fierce. More stoic or nihilistic or Catholic. So much more.”

She said that leaving the island was an option only for people with privilege.

‘Just Regular Americans’

Image Michael A. Pangelinan

Michael A. Pangelinan, 47, a lawyer who lives in Dededo, in the north of the island, was one of many Guamanians who expressed frustration about how little their home was understood by Americans.

“It’s very disappointing that our national media reports of North Korea’s threats against Guam focus only on the U.S. servicemen and women and their families stationed here and only in passing mention that all 162,000 residents of Guam are Americans. All of Guam’s residents are U.S. citizens. If you’re born here, you’re a U.S. citizen. We’re patriotic Americans and love our military, and we’re happy to be home to U.S. military bases — much like other American cities with U.S. bases — but we’re mainly just regular Americans like Americans who live in Phoenix or Albuquerque. We drop our kids to school in the morning and go to work at normal jobs. We shop at Kmart and Home Depot and watch our kids play soccer on the weekends. How do we feel about being threatened with a missile attack by North Korea? How would Americans in Phoenix or Albuquerque feel?”