Thursday, March 27, 2008

open letter

one of the most common chartacteristics of modern day man is to easily get tired and shy away from repetitions. most of us, resign at work and even stop school, whenever we feel that the thing we do is beginning to be a routine or very mechanic. we get tired and eventually lose our hope for change.

probably this is one of the main reasons why filipinos are no longer that politically active, nowadays. despite the wide array of scandals and corruptions our government is facing. and i must admit i am beginning to feel the same thing as well.

last night, i dine in a nearby canteen along katipunan. they have the evening news set in the television and as usual it was talking about the current political and economic situation of our country. our politicians were just singing the sames songs over and over again. they are being very so pretentious about everything that is happening, claiming that they have the truth and what the others have are lies.

seriously, i am a news person. my day isn't that complete without watching even a part of today's news. but lately, i am beginning to crave more of the local news that typically completes the metropolitan life like holdups, car chases, raiding prostitutes, gang wars, rapes etc, than the national news. i even like it more than the oh-so-scripted showbiz news and the ever-trying-hard light news by marc logan. but don't get me wrong again, i am no advocate of crimes. its just that i find such local news like a banana split on my regular and boring pantry lunch---a variation to the monotony, as one of my peers once said.

suddenly, the old woman who is managing the canteen reacted very violently at the news about the supreme court favoring ched chairman neri's petition for executive privelege. 'manang,' which i commonly call her, is very vocal about her political stand. she might not be that factual and objective as she should be, but i admire her being politically aware and involve to whatever issues our nation has. she quite reminded me of so many things about myself before---when i was still politically involved. although my social and political awareness is still there, i admit that i lack in participation. probably because in a way i am having doubts regarding the efficiency of rallying for almost everyday.

it actually breaks my heart whenever i hear people saying rallyist under the hot schorching sun as eyes sores in the street, causes of traffic jams and loose parrots that never stop from yelling. after i decided to take a rest from this involvement, i just then realized, that i have always see things within the rallyist side and failed to see a different perspective, not on the side of the administration, of course. but within the side of the public.

i noticed that the calls for rallies, mobs and vigils against various social issues, no longer have the same great impact than before. probably because we kept on calling for one, over and over again. the repition, as earlier mentioned, makes the people get tired and eventually losed their hopes. i think that frequent social mobilizations among streets create antoganism and in a way disheartens the masses, the lay men and especially the middle and the upper class. then i realized its about time to device another method where we could express truth and the essence of democracy.
i must admit, if you'll going to ask me what new method this is? or how could we express such in a different way? expect silence from me. i still don't have any answers to my own recommendations. but believe me, i never stop searching for these answers as well especially whenever i hear and read the news and watch rallies.

honestly, i am having second thoughts if i am going to post this sentiment. considering the reaction that it might trigger to my fellow comrades. nonetheless, all i could hope for is for them to consider this a constructive critic. an opinion that is written not only as an essay for those who acts in finding truth. but as an open letter for everyone who should also be involve.

10 comments:

Turismoboi said...

makibaka! makibaka!

im tired

churvah said...

i used to be aware din sa mga national issues..pero nkakasawa din minsan..

la namang naiiba.
lahat na lng ng presidente gsto nilang paalisin..]

we can never have a "perfect president"..kasi ang pinoy, ang hanap lagi ung kapintasan....

kaya malamang mg ka change of govt,man tayo..wala ding mangyayari.

N said...

that's pinoy style democracy. nag-iisa yan hehe..

whoever is in power after a year, pinapababa...

so there's no point of rallying in the streets and cause eventual other problems unless there is a guaranteed positive effect. one can voice his resentments or agreement with just anything in so many ways...like for instance this blog. hehe

i have never joined a rally in my college life even if the university i'm in is overly dramatic over those matters.

♥ N o v a said...

I cannot say that I have any knowledge about the effectiveness of rallies in the Philippines, but here in the States, I would say that while they do tend to earn some publicity, the effects in the long-run are not worth it. I think that rallies were fashionable here in the 60s and 70s when people protested against the Vietnam War. These days, I think it's more effective for the people to direct their issues towards the lawmakers (senators, representatives, etc). Many people here in the States have rallied against President Bush regarding the Middle East War and U.S. participation in it, but you can see that it has not gotten anywhere. The war is still ongoing, despite civilian rallies, and everyday more and more American soldiers are dying.

Dabo said...

i'll comment later..busy here sa office.

Yas Jayson said...

superbo...matalas na pagtalakay sa buhay...whew, may natutunan na naman ako...

*kako lang...the main challenge in life is to see beyond what is routinary and constant. we must see life in the greater scheme of things.... maraming bagay na paulit-ulit...kasaysayan, scandals, lbm pero dapat we must transcend beyond human condition...mahirap pero kapag nagawa naten, asshteeg!

[ahehehe nice entry kuya...]

yas,

Unknown said...

siguro kahit sino pa president ang umupo laging may reklamo ang mga pinoy, dahil marami ang hindi masatisfy sa buhay, dapat siguromagumpisa sa tao ang reporma at hindi sa gobyerno.

. said...

Good thing, my shift spares me from the hassle of watching the news in the evening.

chase / chubz said...

yup, me too. im tired of it.
tired of the bickering.

Dabo said...

Alanis Morrissette said in her song Hands Clean

"What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious?

-- --

one time, i blogged about history, arguing that history never repeats itself, it just never ends..

so i guess going to rallies, vigils, doing rallies, is just part of that straight line that defines our nation..and so does our corrupt government and officials...and also the complacent citizens. me included.

EDSA 1, EDSA 2, EDSA3, the mutinies and rebellions, and "prayers" so routine, it is actually a boring habit we learned quite well.

this is not a cycle..

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