The Awful Truth - Day 22 of Blog Every Day in May

I actually have so much I want to say that I don't know where to start.  I have so much I want to say that I don't know if I have enough energy to talk about it.

I will be writing my thoughts as they enter my mind and  I hope that for the sake of those reading this blog, they will enter my mind in the most organized way possible.

The recent elections have left me disappointed, frustrated, sad and mad all at the same time.  I cannot understand the basis for which our people chose their candidates.  I cannot understand so many things about our people.

When an ordinary person applies for a job, no matter how low the position is, he will have to prove thru his clearance from the  National Bureau of Investigation that he has no police record.  But why is it that when we elect our leaders, men and women to occupy some of the highest positions of the land, we do not care if there is a pending case against them. We do not care if they have been in prison.  We do not care if they have caused terror by planting fake explosives around a hotel. We do not care that because of that action, hotel guests, both local and foreign had to be evacuated from the hotel.  We do not care if such act scared off foreign travelers from visiting our country. Sure, he said he was fighting against a government which according to him was corrupt, BUT, was that reason enough to do what he did? Was that reason enough to scare men, women and children? Was that reason enough to scare people like me?  I think NOT.  But why did he come out of that incident a hero? Why did some members of the female population develop a crush on this man? Why did he get elected as a senator even if he was imprisoned for that act of "terrorism"?  And why is it that even with the knowledge that he was one of the highest spending senators even from his "office" in prison, we elected him again for a second term?  Why?

Teachers like me are not allowed to gamble. We are not allowed to drink in public. We will be out of a job once we are proven to be having premarital or extra marital affairs.  We might even lose our license for this immoral conduct.  BUT why do we elect leaders who are known gamblers and alcoholics? Why do we elect leaders who are famous for their extramarital affairs? Why do we elect leaders who have children from several women? Why do we elect leaders who cannot stay true to a vow they took in front of the altar?  Knowing this, why do we believe that they can stay true to  whatever oath of office they make with one of their hands on the Bible?  Doesn't it ever enter our minds that our leaders, the ones who have all the access to public funds, the ones responsible for our future and that of our children should uphold the highest level of  moral standards?

We constantly complain about our plight. We constantly complain about the way our country is being managed.  We constantly complain about corruption, traffic, pollution, etc. etc.  and we constantly blame the ones in government for all of these problems that we see around us.

Have we ever paused to think about  our part in all of these? Have ever stopped to ponder on  the things we have done but shouldn't have done ? Have ever stopped to think about the things that we should have done but didn't?

If we continuously vote the way we do, I wonder if we have the right to complain.

If we don't even know how to segregate our own waste, if we continue to throw our garbage in the streets and in all the wrong places, if we continue to disregard city ordinances like smoking ban in some cities,  I wonder if we have the right to complain.

If we continue to succumb to bribery just to get out of a traffic violation or to have our papers processed quickly, if we continue to sell our votes, or knock on the mayor's house to ask for money for every little "emergency" we have,  if we continue to practice our brand of corruption and power play in our schools or in our offices , no matter how trivial or little they may be, I wonder if we have the right to complain.

If we cannot even do the simplest thing for our country like stopping and standing at attention during the playing of our national anthem in public places like malls,  do we have a right to complain?

I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK SO.

We are the ones who put our so-called leaders where they are and we are certainly part and parcel of each and every problem this country is facing.  We cannot blame anybody but ourselves.

For as long as we continue doing the things we shouldn't, for as long as we continue not doing the things we ought, for as long as we continue living only for ourselves and with complete disregard for the welfare of others and of our nation, we will never see the changes that we say we want to see.  Whether we like it or not, real change can only happen if we start with ourselves.

That, I think, is the awful truth we do not want to think about.


Head over to Jenni's and see what others are ranting about.