Equal application of law!

Either most of us are clueless to the principle of “justice” in the equal application of laws or it’s limited to legislators on imperial Capital Hill. Or is it the complete reverse?

Remember the exhaustive public hearings on the proposed crematorium by the Zoning Board? The same should equally apply to Best Sunshine over the exemption hailed by legislators. Why settle for a favored firm over all the rest?

Didn’t Arnold Palacios and cabal campaign to protect the environment and public’s interest? Why leapfrog your promises now? Were you people beneficiaries of BSI’s tons of money thus the servility in voluntary rain and fire dance begging, “how high do we jump?”

Furthermore, it is rumored that this and anti-military campaign are being bankrolled by several casino firms. Is this true and this why our servile legislators are so shamefully obedient?

Your loss of orientation, slide into obscurity and absurdity is humiliating. Why engage in the perversion of justice? Isn’t the basic tenet of a democracy begins and ends with “we the people?”

We must forcibly bring some sense of purpose to policymaking by removing all those who treat people they represent as inconsequential. I am sure you understand why we must begin petitions for your ouster. Disgusting the omission of experience-based wrongful engagement with shortsighted legislation. And you keep returning to shove it down our throat?

Corruption: Elitist game
“A Chinese philosopher said, ‘Men cannot see their reflections in running water, only in still water.’ There’s also an idiom from a dictionary that says, ‘Running around like a headless chicken’”—a quote I pulled out of my favorite Pinoy columnist, Jose Ma. Montelibano, an idea fit for healthy discussion here.

Like he said, we’ve heard words of wisdom from parents, teachers, gurus, religious people, our elders, and the wise man of the village about life.

The issue is about change, specifically its challenge: How do you implement it to attain the desired results with integrity and fairness?

Indeed, in recent past our people have dealt with issues that affect them including the continued deterioration of current conditions. Specifically, it’s about how bad things are throughout the islands.

But we’ve also used our short memories in the process to rein in self-destruction and add to the layer of entropy—one mess after another—like there’s no tomorrow. As though ignorant, we quiz what happened. It’s about change that is basically political in all its trappings. The failure is self-inflicted but had the audacity to question our own awareness.
We talk loosely of corruption, abuse of power and lazy bureaucrats who do nothing but make public services much more difficult to obtain than is necessary. Our new tool in short memories is despicably staggering and it has turned around to show us our lack of resiliency holding on to what’s right.

Indeed, even those who are vocal aren’t necessarily equipped with anything to make a difference. So, it slides into “After all is said and done a lot more is said than done.” And life goes on in these isles with more head scratching all over again.

Why is this the case? Simple: corruption isn’t found among villagers. It’s the game of the elitist bunch at our imperial hilltop.

You see, the average villager goes about his business earning his dues the old fashioned way. He isn’t sufficiently sophisticated to know what political greed entails. He isn’t open to the culture of corruption and would never be given a fair shot at it either.

It is limited to the big guys and gals in public office. Nothing changes for as long as the troops stay intact to rake in some more goodies from donors and, yes, the taxpayers!

Axiom of money and politics
Simultaneously, there’s an axiom in politics that money always creates important friendships, influence and special consideration. Wise politicians recognize this danger and work to keep it at bay. Did our suspect men of wisdom stand their ground on the casino legislation? Or did they head to the dance floor and waltzed with their friends all night?

Is there quid pro quo from rich donors for their re-elections and shouldn’t this brazen political deviancy an issue to probe to the hilt? Not as dumb as we look and we want answers!

Change could only happen with conviction and direct participation. Only then would we be able to see our faces in the still waters of a determined people to strengthen a government of laws. Otherwise, we could opt out conveniently and continue running around like headless chickens. I’m used to the perennial disorientation but is it our only option now?