Baramuli's views on medals<\/p>\n
When I read in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 21, page 2, Mr.
\nBaramuli's statement saying: \"Why must you make such a fuss about
\nthese medals. No one would buy them if they came up for sale,\" I
\nfelt hurt. The only interpretation I can make out of it is that
\nthe medals are just cheap things, and not worth any fuss or
\nattention. As a recipient of such a medal of which I am proud, I
\ncannot but wonder why there are people, who, although educated,
\ncan't grasp the existence of moral values in the midst of a
\nmaterialistic community.<\/p>\n
A soldier fighting on the front line, prepared to kill enemies
\nhe has never met and who have done him no harm, is prepared to
\nsacrifice his life and when he has accomplished his duty, he gets
\na medal for his bravery and dedication, worth perhaps only Rp
\n10,000. But he accepts it with pride and tears may roll down his
\nface when his superior pins the medal on his chest. He almost
\nlost his life and yet he got only Rp 10,000 worth of
\nappreciation. Suppose the government gave him Rp 15,000 in cash.
\nI am sure he would feel insulted. I experienced these feelings
\nwhen I received the Bintang Gerilya (Guerrilla Medal), worth
\nalmost next to nothing compared to what I went through in those
\ndays of the war for independence.<\/p>\n
Certainly, Mr. Baramuli knows the difference between material
\nvalues and moral values, because he is a well-educated man, has
\nlots of experience in society and is politically mature.<\/p>\n
I feel that Mr. Baramuli's intention is to defend his
\nPresident at all costs, which is his right, but why use such an
\nargument. In other words, Mr. Baramuli says that the First Lady
\nwas just awarded a cheap thing, which no one would buy if it came
\nup for sale. What an insult to the First Lady, who received it,
\nand to the President who awarded the medal.<\/p>\n
But then according to what I read in the Post, Mr. Baramuli
\ncontradicted himself when asked whether she really deserved the
\nmedal (which is cheap), he answered that \"she must receive state
\nguests you know and she must be given a respectable position as
\nthe first lady. The cheap thing, as Mr. Baramuli calls it, is
\nable to give to the wife of the President a respectable position.<\/p>\n
I do not really know, but that might be the reason Mr. Gus Dur
\nand Amien Rais politely refused to accept similar medals, because
\nthe medals are too cheap compared to what they did to legally
\nbring down the second president and how they continue the fight
\nfor true reform.<\/p>\n
We cannot entirely blame the President for awarding the
\nmedals, because it is all done at the recommendation of a team,
\nchaired by the honorable Coordinating Minister for Political and
\nSecurity Affairs Feisal Tanjung, who made sure that he himself
\nwas not omitted from the list of recipients. Well I hope that Mr.
\nBaramuli still has a place in his heart for true friendship and
\ndedication, without converting it into dollars or rupiah which is
\nstill floating and uncertain.<\/p>\n
SOEGIH ARTO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/baramulis-views-on-medals-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }