FEAR THE NEW NATIONAL EPIDEMIC

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the work of Gather members like Andrew, Melton, Jim, Candace, and other members whose vigilance and dedication are shining examples of true advocacy.

I owe America and its people a debt of gratitude that I could never hope to repay. I could only hope that writing this article would give Americans a different perspective and help them cope with the fear they are now experiencing.

Imagine a country rich with tropical islands and miles upon miles of white sand beaches. The warm tropical sea water stands waist high a mile out from the beach. There are abundant natural resources to feed everyone and an estimated 90 percent of the citizens graduated high school and almost 75 percent are college graduates. America gave this country the same rights that all Americans have and it is the only democratic nation in its continent. It is reasonable to assume that this nation would follow America’s footsteps. One would expect this nation to thrive and evolve into a beacon of democracy for the continent.

The people of this nation had the same thirst for freedom as America’s forefathers did. These people have been subjugated for centuries and they fought and died side by side with Americans to gain that freedom. America was true to its promise and granted this nation its independence. America being America felt obligated to nurture the seed of democracy they planted and under America’s guidance, this nation became one of the dynamic up and coming nation in its region. This success caused the leaders of this once grateful nation to regard America’s guidance as intervention.

This sentiment was not shared by the masses, but its leaders pushed for true independence. The people exercised their rights and launched a signature campaign to force the government into adding a referendum that essentially allows America to make this nation its 51^st state. However, this was ignored by the government and the noble idea died a slow painful death. The regret could not be more profound after a dynamic young president declared marshal law.

I was born a decade or so after the Philippines declared its independence. As a child, I had the good fortune of experiencing its natural beauty. As a teen, the flame of advocacy burned deep inside me and I was part of those who demanded reform from a corrupt government. I had first hand experience of how it feels to have your rights stripped from you. I had the misfortune of calling people, who mysteriously disappeared never to be heard from again, friends. It all started with bombs exploding in densely populated places killing thousands of people. It continued for several weeks until people were so scared that they refused to leave their homes. The media which was under the control of the vice president’s family continued to feed the fear with a constant stream of information that caused the citizens to live in constant fear of their lives.

They blamed the communist for these attacks and they accused the youth who advocated change as part of the communist movement. It worked with everyone except for those whom they accused of causing the turmoil they created. They could not convince people who were actually there when the military fired live rounds on students who were staging a peaceful demonstration. They could not convince a person that his friends he grew up with were responsible for these deaths, especially when everyone was at a meeting in another city when those bombs exploded.

The faith of citizens in their government is something that is as strong as religion. People may think that their government is corrupt and full of lying, no good bastards but you cannot convince them that these corrupt, lying, no good bastards would actually kill the people they swore to protect. They refused to believe it because if they do they would have to accept the terrible reality that they have been betrayed. People could not accept the fact that the government they believed in would be capable of doing such things for it would destroy any hopes they may have that everything will somehow work itself out and things will be normal once more.

That era in Philippine history epitomized the statement by Richard Jackson that was popularly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”. The Filipino people succumbed to the debilitating fear that the government promoted. They were scared witless, that they failed to see that giving up their liberty would not buy them any safety.

The Philippines also showed the world that the nation’s power lies in its people. They validated the fact that people should not fear their government; the government should fear its people when they performed a bloodless revolution. They refused to work and stood on streets and highways. Millions of people standing on major streets and highways caused the wheels of industry to stop turning and each day they stayed on those streets plunged the economy deeper into turmoil. The government sent troops and tanks to remove those people but their resolve was unyielding and they stood defiant in front of those tanks. These people trusted that humanity’s inherent goodness will prevail for purposely squashing defenseless people under a tank is murder in anyone’s book. However, if they have to give their lives to gain freedom they would gladly do so. Their conviction shamed the soldiers into disregarding an order that they knew deep in their hearts was wrong.    

I am well aware that this article could not possibly repay what I owe America and I will remain vigilant in my search for the opportunity to do so. In parting, I would like to remind America that the knowledge of right and wrong are inherent in everyone; therefore, America should remember that nothing good will come from doing something wrong for the right reasons. Please be weary of those who inculcate unfounded fear and the proliferators of perverse hatred for they do not have your best interest at heart.

Please note that this article was not intended to be used as a comparison with the tragic events that America suffered. The article was written for the purpose of sharing the author’s experience on the subject of fear and how fear affects the masses.