This new post from The Oatmeal maybe entitled "7 things you really don't need to take a photo of", though I think that "7 photo subjects by trying hard photographers" would be nice too.
Seriously, what's up with all those wannabe photographers lately? =o
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
RH Bill and Jueteng
Freedom to choose.
Let me just state first that above and beyond everything else, it is my fervent belief that the freedom to make choices for oneself, regardless of anyone else's opinion or influence, and so long as it does not intrude on the rights of another, is one of democracy's greatest inalienable gifts.
We, Filipinos, are such unforgivably weird creatures. For one, we're the type of people who can be extremely conservative over too many things: reluctant to let go of old and outdated traditions; unwilling sometimes (if not oftentimes) to make changes for the better; sticking to old habits and customs without sometimes knowing the reasoning, concrete or otherwise, behind them.
And then, we're also such curiously immoral creatures. Yeah, that's right. For a staunchly (or should I say also proudly?) Christian country, it is not seldom that I regard this place as one hell of a wretched hive of scum and villainy. And quite seriously you'll never find quite a place like this place: promiscuity, gambling, violence, violent politics, lack of discipline, pollution, political incorrectness left and right, the list goes on and on. These things may just be the tip of the iceberg. And yet I still found myself having to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi just to find any appropriate description fitting for the downward spiral that is the Philippines. *sigh*
Despite these two things: ultraconservatism and immorality -- isn't it quite surprising that we Filipinos still manage to find for our country and our people some respect in the global community, or maybe to even just stay intact as a country? But then, I suppose we're so used to living and thinking in such manner, we don't care anymore. Also, combining and managing to live with these two things has been ingrained in our culture for so long, any significant change to the status quo might just result in an altering of reality itself as well as an unexpected polarity shift of the Earth.
...
I'm serious.
*cough*
So now we bring ourselves to the two recent issues that have brought our immoral brand of ultraconservatism to light. The reproductive health bill and the legalization of jueteng.
Alright, let's talk first about the RH bill. The first thing that comes to mind every time I hear it: Why the issue? Okay, so I understand that those ultraconservative Catholics just can't and won't stop yapping about the issue. After all, they see themselves as some kind of moral guardian that need to be telling others what to do. Since their "words" come from God, then their words must be right, right? And that what they say and do should be and is above the law, right? I don't know what kind of books those morons must have in the seminaries but I'm beginning to wonder if their required readings must have been published way back in the Middle Ages. And quite frankly, who are they to lecture others on what to do and not to do? Or to be more to the point, what's the point of lecturing about sex? What would they know about sex? They are not SUPPOSED to be having sex (or are they?) and so how are they supposed to be preaching about anything that they themselves are not (ideally) even knowledgeable of? Besides, the words of those priests would probably have more bearing if they are quite the immaculate angels they think themselves to be. But I'll leave the bastard sons and daughters of the clergy to bring that topic to better light.
Why those church morons put sex in such a negative light is one hell of a mystery to me, as well as a big contradiction. As far as I know, THEY teach that sex came from God, as a means of procreating. So why demonize it? Sure, Filipinos have such a huge problem with regard to premarital sex, fidelity, and excessive procreating. And I'm pretty sure that Filipinos are well aware of that! But if the church wants to remind its followers that they're doing something wrong, then I believe that the proper forum to do this is inside the church or in the privacy of a confessional. Why meddle in the affairs of the state? The state is only doing what it thinks is right to keep things in check. Sure, in the eyes of the church, the use of contraceptives is wrong. But I think they should keep their reprimands inside their own hallowed halls. Yes, while in your churches, tell and teach the people what is right and what is wrong. And please do that as often as possible! We Filipinos are really in dire need of being reminded about the difference, anyway. But please, keep your hands and your mouths off the laws. Just let the law be. And let each and every person have the freedom to choose whether to do what is pragmatically correct or to avoid doing what is morally wrong.
And now, on to the issue about jueteng. Come on, are we really still going to be turning a blind eye on the reality that Filipinos are such unrepentant gamblers? And in a poor country like the Philippines, gambling is the reality of life. When wages and salaries are just too small and the table has too many mouths to feed, would you really blame the Filipino to want to take his chances, no matter how immoral it could be?
But then, the question begs to be asked: In our society today, as well as in the common way of thinking amongst cultured societies, can gambling still be seen as immoral? If you think about it, gambling is not so much a way of life but in fact, a fact of life itself! It has often been said that life is in itself a gamble. Making choices, choosing what would be profitable or not, weighing which decision would yield the better result, isn't that the way life goes? And that being said, how is gambling different from life itself if the only difference that exists is that if you win, you make money, and if you lose, someone else makes money?
Again, the need to give a person the freedom to choose for himself is what's important here. Gambling may be morally incorrect, but if the stomach begins to grumble, will moral correctness still matter? Also, as long as jueteng remains illegal, the more money will be taken out of the common man's pocket to finance the vanities of the corrupt few. How long are we really going to be feeding and supporting the fat asses of those hypocritical imbeciles? If we legalize jueteng, well okay I admit, some of the earnings will still go to the pockets of those parasitic dunderheads, but hey, at least some of the money will make its way to the national coffers! Hmm... a win-win situation?
All in all, what am I saying here? First off, we really need to get off our ultraconservative high horse and accept the fact that a lot of Filipinos ARE immoral. This is a fact we NEED to accept. The sooner we accept it, the faster we are going to realize that hey, preventing people from doing these immoral things won't solve the issue. If not, it will worsen the issue since we know that the more something is made forbidden, the more will people want to do it. And being so, the righteous among us, although they may have the right to preach and to teach, should also learn their place and stop being such bitches in the running of state affairs. Instead, they should just focus on constantly reminding the wayward of their wrongdoings. But in the end, what is important is to let the people have the right to decide what is good for themselves. And in doing so, maybe they would themselves come to the realization of the evils of their own doings and learn to steer away from such things. Experience is the best teacher after all, right?
Second, we also need to remind ourselves that the state should be concerned only on enacting laws that would be beneficial for its citizens. We need to remind ourselves too that not every beneficial thing is moral nor every moral thing is beneficial. If we are to move forward as a people, we need to learn to be more pragmatic and progressive in our way of thinking. The sooner we let go of our outmoded philosophies, the faster we'll progress. Let's keep issues of morality within the teachings of home, school, and (to the non-atheists) church. Let the laws and democracy be!
And third. We need to learn to think before we take any action, and that if we do take any action, we need to be responsible for it. Am I going to use contraceptives for the sake of my family's future? Am I willing to accept the "sin" that comes along with it? If, on the other hand, I choose not to use them and a baby is then born in this world, would I be able to take full responsibility for the child? Or would I just leave the child to die in a dumpster, hoping against hope that a kind soul might find him and take pity?
Must I waste my day's earning on gambling in the hopes of earning more money? If I lose them all, will I accept what my family has to say? Must I always rely on gambling and pray for that day when I'll win big? What about honest living, can I bear earning so few for so many years and hope that all would be enough for my family's future?
The life of a Filipino is full of complex questions and the answers are simply too complex as well. Nevertheless, no one has any excuse to deny him the right to decide for himself, no matter how much more complicated this will make the thinking process for him. Let's not let anyone decide for ourselves what is wrong and what is right, what is moral and just, what is immoral and evil. At the end of the day, against all the noise and bickering, it is we, not some man in a frock, who is the real captain of each of our soul's ship. It is we who will make the final decisions. It is we, who must ultimately decide the direction on which we are going to steer our own ships.
Let me just state first that above and beyond everything else, it is my fervent belief that the freedom to make choices for oneself, regardless of anyone else's opinion or influence, and so long as it does not intrude on the rights of another, is one of democracy's greatest inalienable gifts.
We, Filipinos, are such unforgivably weird creatures. For one, we're the type of people who can be extremely conservative over too many things: reluctant to let go of old and outdated traditions; unwilling sometimes (if not oftentimes) to make changes for the better; sticking to old habits and customs without sometimes knowing the reasoning, concrete or otherwise, behind them.
And then, we're also such curiously immoral creatures. Yeah, that's right. For a staunchly (or should I say also proudly?) Christian country, it is not seldom that I regard this place as one hell of a wretched hive of scum and villainy. And quite seriously you'll never find quite a place like this place: promiscuity, gambling, violence, violent politics, lack of discipline, pollution, political incorrectness left and right, the list goes on and on. These things may just be the tip of the iceberg. And yet I still found myself having to quote Obi-Wan Kenobi just to find any appropriate description fitting for the downward spiral that is the Philippines. *sigh*
Despite these two things: ultraconservatism and immorality -- isn't it quite surprising that we Filipinos still manage to find for our country and our people some respect in the global community, or maybe to even just stay intact as a country? But then, I suppose we're so used to living and thinking in such manner, we don't care anymore. Also, combining and managing to live with these two things has been ingrained in our culture for so long, any significant change to the status quo might just result in an altering of reality itself as well as an unexpected polarity shift of the Earth.
...
I'm serious.
*cough*
So now we bring ourselves to the two recent issues that have brought our immoral brand of ultraconservatism to light. The reproductive health bill and the legalization of jueteng.
Alright, let's talk first about the RH bill. The first thing that comes to mind every time I hear it: Why the issue? Okay, so I understand that those ultraconservative Catholics just can't and won't stop yapping about the issue. After all, they see themselves as some kind of moral guardian that need to be telling others what to do. Since their "words" come from God, then their words must be right, right? And that what they say and do should be and is above the law, right? I don't know what kind of books those morons must have in the seminaries but I'm beginning to wonder if their required readings must have been published way back in the Middle Ages. And quite frankly, who are they to lecture others on what to do and not to do? Or to be more to the point, what's the point of lecturing about sex? What would they know about sex? They are not SUPPOSED to be having sex (or are they?) and so how are they supposed to be preaching about anything that they themselves are not (ideally) even knowledgeable of? Besides, the words of those priests would probably have more bearing if they are quite the immaculate angels they think themselves to be. But I'll leave the bastard sons and daughters of the clergy to bring that topic to better light.
Why those church morons put sex in such a negative light is one hell of a mystery to me, as well as a big contradiction. As far as I know, THEY teach that sex came from God, as a means of procreating. So why demonize it? Sure, Filipinos have such a huge problem with regard to premarital sex, fidelity, and excessive procreating. And I'm pretty sure that Filipinos are well aware of that! But if the church wants to remind its followers that they're doing something wrong, then I believe that the proper forum to do this is inside the church or in the privacy of a confessional. Why meddle in the affairs of the state? The state is only doing what it thinks is right to keep things in check. Sure, in the eyes of the church, the use of contraceptives is wrong. But I think they should keep their reprimands inside their own hallowed halls. Yes, while in your churches, tell and teach the people what is right and what is wrong. And please do that as often as possible! We Filipinos are really in dire need of being reminded about the difference, anyway. But please, keep your hands and your mouths off the laws. Just let the law be. And let each and every person have the freedom to choose whether to do what is pragmatically correct or to avoid doing what is morally wrong.
And now, on to the issue about jueteng. Come on, are we really still going to be turning a blind eye on the reality that Filipinos are such unrepentant gamblers? And in a poor country like the Philippines, gambling is the reality of life. When wages and salaries are just too small and the table has too many mouths to feed, would you really blame the Filipino to want to take his chances, no matter how immoral it could be?
But then, the question begs to be asked: In our society today, as well as in the common way of thinking amongst cultured societies, can gambling still be seen as immoral? If you think about it, gambling is not so much a way of life but in fact, a fact of life itself! It has often been said that life is in itself a gamble. Making choices, choosing what would be profitable or not, weighing which decision would yield the better result, isn't that the way life goes? And that being said, how is gambling different from life itself if the only difference that exists is that if you win, you make money, and if you lose, someone else makes money?
Again, the need to give a person the freedom to choose for himself is what's important here. Gambling may be morally incorrect, but if the stomach begins to grumble, will moral correctness still matter? Also, as long as jueteng remains illegal, the more money will be taken out of the common man's pocket to finance the vanities of the corrupt few. How long are we really going to be feeding and supporting the fat asses of those hypocritical imbeciles? If we legalize jueteng, well okay I admit, some of the earnings will still go to the pockets of those parasitic dunderheads, but hey, at least some of the money will make its way to the national coffers! Hmm... a win-win situation?
All in all, what am I saying here? First off, we really need to get off our ultraconservative high horse and accept the fact that a lot of Filipinos ARE immoral. This is a fact we NEED to accept. The sooner we accept it, the faster we are going to realize that hey, preventing people from doing these immoral things won't solve the issue. If not, it will worsen the issue since we know that the more something is made forbidden, the more will people want to do it. And being so, the righteous among us, although they may have the right to preach and to teach, should also learn their place and stop being such bitches in the running of state affairs. Instead, they should just focus on constantly reminding the wayward of their wrongdoings. But in the end, what is important is to let the people have the right to decide what is good for themselves. And in doing so, maybe they would themselves come to the realization of the evils of their own doings and learn to steer away from such things. Experience is the best teacher after all, right?
Second, we also need to remind ourselves that the state should be concerned only on enacting laws that would be beneficial for its citizens. We need to remind ourselves too that not every beneficial thing is moral nor every moral thing is beneficial. If we are to move forward as a people, we need to learn to be more pragmatic and progressive in our way of thinking. The sooner we let go of our outmoded philosophies, the faster we'll progress. Let's keep issues of morality within the teachings of home, school, and (to the non-atheists) church. Let the laws and democracy be!
And third. We need to learn to think before we take any action, and that if we do take any action, we need to be responsible for it. Am I going to use contraceptives for the sake of my family's future? Am I willing to accept the "sin" that comes along with it? If, on the other hand, I choose not to use them and a baby is then born in this world, would I be able to take full responsibility for the child? Or would I just leave the child to die in a dumpster, hoping against hope that a kind soul might find him and take pity?
Must I waste my day's earning on gambling in the hopes of earning more money? If I lose them all, will I accept what my family has to say? Must I always rely on gambling and pray for that day when I'll win big? What about honest living, can I bear earning so few for so many years and hope that all would be enough for my family's future?
The life of a Filipino is full of complex questions and the answers are simply too complex as well. Nevertheless, no one has any excuse to deny him the right to decide for himself, no matter how much more complicated this will make the thinking process for him. Let's not let anyone decide for ourselves what is wrong and what is right, what is moral and just, what is immoral and evil. At the end of the day, against all the noise and bickering, it is we, not some man in a frock, who is the real captain of each of our soul's ship. It is we who will make the final decisions. It is we, who must ultimately decide the direction on which we are going to steer our own ships.
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