George Bernard Shaw said: “Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.”
History shows the importance of unreasonable people who took a stand against all sorts of human cruelty and oppression, overt and covert. And in so doing, we have seen men and women marching, kneeling and praying before fully-loaded and ready to fire — tanks and armored cars in EDSA 1986. Millions of people marching to protest against dictators and tyrants who seemed to have absolute power over whether who could live or die, in the most unexpected places like Egypt, Libya or Tunisia as in the Arab Spring 2011. These are all popular uprisings ,known as “People Power”.
It is time to reflect on the events of the day, as we digest news about government efforts to curb corruption. Are we so used to all forms of graft and corruption that we have made a choice to “see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil”?
Or do we believe that if we somehow witnessed any crime, we are compelled to take action?
Studies have shown that in developed countries, people are engaged and are quick to complain or report about any form of government corruption. Is it a case of cause-and-effect? Do we report because there is a corresponding action, or do we choose to keep quiet because it does not do any good? Or at the extreme, will it place our own life in danger?
Did you know that if you redirect your attention and close your eyes to corruption, you would have unwittingly become an accessory to the crime?
Each time you choose to do nothing, you are empowering the person to commit more of the same.
The reverse is true; if you decide to take action, and encourage other people to do the same, then crimes are exposed.
This is the time to reflect as the sins of the past administration is coming to light, and more and more charges are being filed in court.
In the recent past, the truth-sayers (whistleblowers) were an endangered species; people like Jun Lozada had to take refuge in the custody of nuns because his truth was considered a threat to the powerful elite.
Now they are saying, there is vindictiveness and persecution; but we say, this is about justice — those who break the law must answer for their transgressions in the court of law.
Change does not happen on its own, in this case; it is a collective desire to avert our descent into chaos by restoring the rule of law.
This is about crime and punishment. If you watched the recent cellphone polls, majority of the people expect the P-Noy administration to fulfill its campaign promise to jail grafters and corrupt officials, starting with Cong. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Now that’s being reasonable.