War or Peace?

           Anywhere in the world today war is looming or is really happening. Wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are some of the fiercest which kill thousands of civilians and combatants.The untold miseries are beyond words to describe.
          Amazingly, this wars are  done in the name of anti-terrorism. This wars as its authors describe are launched  to save the world and to have a lasting peace against the terrorists. Collateral damage is not counted as long as the terrorists are extinguished from the face of the globe.
          The thirst for blood is really inherent among the people. Here in our country, there's a strong exchanges of ideas whether the government would have to deal peace with the local Marxist-Leninist-Maoist New People's Army which wage protracted war for almost close to 50 years. Exchanges of opinions in the leading national daily showed that there are many who want to have war against the revolutionary group.Only few opinions are for bilateral peace talk and agreement.
           This only proves that people really want war until such time that they're in war and they would long for peace because they would die anytime of the day. This is really very surprising because those who had fought in war like the marines, army and scout rangers would not want war but peace. They already see the horrors of war. Their comrades died. Some were maimed. So, they long for peace and goodwill to all men. Surprisingly, those who did not taste the sting of war, want to have war. Maybe they're thinking that war is only in movie or in a nightmare that if they do not want they just close their eyes or wake up from their bad dreams.
           Bidding for peace is a thorny and bumpy road to pass. Killing your opponents is not always the best option in war.Negotiations sometimes can do the best solutions to address the roots of the conflict especially if both sides really aspire to reach the win-win solution. We should always give peace a chance otherwise war would consume our children, our country and even ourselves.

         

Funeral of A Teacher

           Last night I attended a wake and tribute to a male teacher, "a leader of the band" because he was in charged of the school band when he was still employed. His body was in the school gymnasium for a night viewing and tribute before his body would be laid in peace the following day. His former co-teachers and students were there and so few family members because he was single until the day he retired and now died.
           
           The visitors to the wake that night probably reach 400 to 500. The wake in the school started at 10A.M. and probably there were also many former students who visited that morning.

           As I listened to the tribute, I reflected about death and the fleeting moment of our stay on this Earth. The teacher who died started his career in 1971 until his retirement five years ago which made him served the school for 40 plus years. After his retirement, his co-teachers were surprised to see him next days, weeks, months and years until he died last week to report to school earlier that other teachers and went home late. He stayed in the gate sitting with the guard and still had a prying eyes to the students and of course to some of his co-teachers who breached the code of conduct of the profession. Some of these teachers complained that what business this retired teacher was doing in school. He was already retired and nuisance.

          During the tribute nobody said bad things about this fallen comrade in the profession. It's really true that you can't speak evil to a dead person especially in our culture as Asian and Filipino who regard the dead with deep respect. Everybody said good memories about the teacher. He was so dedicated in  the job said by his former girlfriend? who is still single and now retired in service. The tribute ended with the band played a song and dance for him.

          Death comes suddenly which many did not expect it. People in the death row and people with terminal illness may really expect death in probably exact date.If a person dies, he would only leave properties which his family may cause for a quarrel or good deeds which the people will continue to cherish and ponder.

            In the Five Golden Rays which Mao Zedong of China made as part of the study for would be revolutionaries, it was taught that "if you die serving the exploiters or you're an exploiter yourself, your death is as light as the feather for the people to carry. You would only be think momentarily then be forgotten soon. But if you die serving the poor and the exploited, your death is as heavy as the mountain which the people would carry in their lifetime".

              The life of the teacher is a service to the poor and oppressed. Many of the students in the public school are sons and daughters of poor farmers, low paid workers, and out of work parents. Teacher witnesses the daily struggles of his students in going to school without nutritious foods and money for the day. The teacher shares what's available in him. He gives all-out his talents and wisdom for the students to learn. When the teacher dies, the students who returned or sent messages via internet and social media which affirm  how good that teacher when he was still alive. Death should not be afraid. It's a fulfillment of a mission given to a teacher and he's about to report his deeds to his Creator when he departs.

         

     

Unstoppable Killings

            My heart aches as I heard and see news about killings of people for different causes and reasons. Locally, not less than ten people are gunned down everyday. News abroad of killings , the number would range to few hundreds.

           What is worst to this killings is the justification that taking lives of the people is done for the greater good. Take for example the anti-drug campaigns in different parts of the world. Killing the suspected drug addicts and sellers are justified. They are after all walking zombies. Therefore they have no reason to live anymore.The crimes that these drug addicts could do are beyond measures so killing them is noble.

            People seem to agree with this justification. They nod their heads in agreement to their political leaders who tell them that death penalty or extrajudicial killings are reasonable.People appear to love violence because they accept it.

            In other parts of the world, killings are done in the name of God Almighty. Some so-called jihadists kill people both Christians and Muslims because the latter do not agree with their religious fanaticism.

           In retaliation, countries that are at odds with these jihadist also kill and bomb places that are suspected as lairs of the terrorists. Children, women, and innocent civilians become the collateral damages.This is also done in the name of greater good. To kill a terrorist is a public duty. To kill and bomb civilians are natural consequence.

           Killings therefore in the world become unstoppable. Might is right becomes the rule of the strong and powerful.Governments become the oppressors of their own people. In the process, they become human rights violators. They become terrorists themselves because they utilize state police and armed forces to kill their own people.

            Killings are unchristian and inhuman and  violation of Christian Ten Commandments. Even other religions are also against killings. Amazingly, killings  are also accepted by religious leaders. Many of them are agreeing that killing is necessary to save others lives. Some of them, religious and political leaders say that human rights are big hindrance to stop crimes because criminals hide in the provision of innocence in the provisions of human rights and constitution. They propose more power to kill and violate the rights of their own citizens.

           Whatever justification of killings in the name of achieving long lasting peace, the end really does not justify the means.People should also scrutinize their leaders because probably many of them are mentally sick. Some of them probably are narcisstic and really anti-life. People should not wait that they all surrender their freedom of this mad leaders and wake later and it's too late, they're all gobbled by these monsters.