Opposite Sides?
In response to my entry entitled Gloriagate, my good friend Pia wrote Opposite Sides. Here's my response to that entry.
Dear Pia:
In the last paragraph of my entry, I wrote:
"i don't really know what's going to happen. i want GMA to continue on as president and I want to believe that she isn't guilty [of cheating]. but i'd be stupid if i said that she isn't. she looks like she is. and if she is guilty, then she has to suffer the consequences of her actions (sounds naive but it's true)..."
so we aren't really on opposing sides this time around, are we? turns out we still stand for the same things. the only difference is i'm more passive, at least for this issue, whereas you are active. we both agree that this time, extra-constitutional means of removing a leader are not warranted (can you imagine how absurd that will sound to erap?). or perhaps we should say that it should never again be warranted for any situation if we want this country to mature as a nation. you want GMA out of office. that's fine. as for me, if she's proven guilty, then i say too that she has no right to stay as president. the highest office of the land must never be tainted with dishonesty or corruption.
i think our only real difference this time is personal preference. i like GMA and i'm guessing you don't, or at the very least, you just tolerate her presence in malacanang. i think she has been a good leader and has delivered results. it's just a sad thing to realize that, really, most everyone in government is corrupt.
constitutional change and cutting her term short, i think, is an excellent compromise scenario. i just hope they make a damn good constitution such that Cha-cha would be unheard of for the next 50 years or so.
i was actually thinking the other day about the strong economies of the European nations and the USA, and how they have already gone through centuries of history as independent nations. the key word here is maturity. we're still very immature. we've only been independent for more than half a century. i think that in the development of a nation, these things, these tragedies happen. mistakes sometimes have to be made in order to teach a nation the important lessons of nationhood. the filipinos have yet to learn about honesty in government, sacrifice for country, and real honest-to-goodness patriotism. i think that's where our problem lies (I say "our problem" because i'm not judging as an outsider but as one Filipino). but, as i've always been optimistic, i believe in the Filipino and I believe we're gonna get there soon enough. but i'm pretty sure there would be much pain for us in the future if we refuse to be taught by the mistakes of the past.
-karl-
*****
Now that we're on the subject matter, here's a good read, written by my good friend Josh. I think every Filipino, especially every Christian Filipino, has a special part to play.
Funny. Two of my good friends cited here are lawyers (or lawyer-to-be in Pia's case). I just realized that I'm covered should I get into medico-legal troubles in the future. Hehe.
Dear Pia:
In the last paragraph of my entry, I wrote:
"i don't really know what's going to happen. i want GMA to continue on as president and I want to believe that she isn't guilty [of cheating]. but i'd be stupid if i said that she isn't. she looks like she is. and if she is guilty, then she has to suffer the consequences of her actions (sounds naive but it's true)..."
so we aren't really on opposing sides this time around, are we? turns out we still stand for the same things. the only difference is i'm more passive, at least for this issue, whereas you are active. we both agree that this time, extra-constitutional means of removing a leader are not warranted (can you imagine how absurd that will sound to erap?). or perhaps we should say that it should never again be warranted for any situation if we want this country to mature as a nation. you want GMA out of office. that's fine. as for me, if she's proven guilty, then i say too that she has no right to stay as president. the highest office of the land must never be tainted with dishonesty or corruption.
i think our only real difference this time is personal preference. i like GMA and i'm guessing you don't, or at the very least, you just tolerate her presence in malacanang. i think she has been a good leader and has delivered results. it's just a sad thing to realize that, really, most everyone in government is corrupt.
constitutional change and cutting her term short, i think, is an excellent compromise scenario. i just hope they make a damn good constitution such that Cha-cha would be unheard of for the next 50 years or so.
i was actually thinking the other day about the strong economies of the European nations and the USA, and how they have already gone through centuries of history as independent nations. the key word here is maturity. we're still very immature. we've only been independent for more than half a century. i think that in the development of a nation, these things, these tragedies happen. mistakes sometimes have to be made in order to teach a nation the important lessons of nationhood. the filipinos have yet to learn about honesty in government, sacrifice for country, and real honest-to-goodness patriotism. i think that's where our problem lies (I say "our problem" because i'm not judging as an outsider but as one Filipino). but, as i've always been optimistic, i believe in the Filipino and I believe we're gonna get there soon enough. but i'm pretty sure there would be much pain for us in the future if we refuse to be taught by the mistakes of the past.
-karl-
*****
Now that we're on the subject matter, here's a good read, written by my good friend Josh. I think every Filipino, especially every Christian Filipino, has a special part to play.
Funny. Two of my good friends cited here are lawyers (or lawyer-to-be in Pia's case). I just realized that I'm covered should I get into medico-legal troubles in the future. Hehe.
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