Emphatically repeating a key phrase three times to drive home the point of of his concept, second-term senator Will Parkinson detailed the purpose of his legislative resolution, declaring during a mid-morning press conference "Statehood or Nothing. Statehood or Nothing. Statehood or nothing."

"I think we need to do whatever is necessary," said Parkinson. "And whatever it takes for survival. And if anybody has a better plan to achieve survival, I'm willing to hear that plan. But it all comes down to how does Guam survive? That is the ultimate truth, and the ultimate question we need to ask: how does Guam survive if we have to choose between two empires?"

Basing the idea on his theory of an imminent clash between world superpowers, he seeks for Guam to be declared as the country's 51st state. He pulled no punches when saying how we can either "be integrated" as state, or "colonized" by China. The senator suggests this is our right as Americans in the interest of defense and bringing the fight to our adversaries.

The senator continued, "If we become the 51st state in union, it will not erase our culture, it will preserve our culture. If we join China, we will be erased from history. Point blank."

But while the audience was island media, one participant was Melvin Won Pat-Borja, the executive director of the Commission on Decolonization, which has sought the choice between independence, free association with the US or statehood. He said he appreciates the senator's efforts for political status, even if he doesn't agree with the approach.

He told KUAM News, "We've all agreed that self-determination is the only way forward. No matter what status any of us prefer, ultimately that is not for any one of us to decide, but it is up to a collective decision that that we have to come to, and the only way to do it is via referendum."

As far as the angle of securing Guam under the spectre of war, Won Pat-Borja says defense agreements are possible with territories not under US control. "I would argue opposite that the point that statehood is the only way to ensure the defense of Guam," he suggested. "There are a number of independent nations that have defense treaties with the United States that ensure their cooperation and protection under a partnership with the United States. So, too, do our neighbors in Micronesia, who are all freely-associated. Each of them has a defense agreement with the United States, and so all three options I think are are valid and legitimate, and each of them provide us an opportunity not just to attain full self-government and autonomy over our local affairs, but also to address our concerns regarding defense."

He said the commission pursuit of self-governance is the goal for Guam.

Won Pat-Borja said, "The way that our policymakers have stood on this issue and the position that they've taken historically has been one that prioritizes self-determination in how we get to that status."

Senator Parkinson reinforced his idea by stating, "I believe we need to do whatever we need to do to make sure Guam survives. This is not a question about process or polite or what's the right thing to do anymore - it's the thing about what makes sure Guam survives."