Why fly the flag if we are not free?<\/p>\n
In the early morning on the day before Independence Day, my
\nmother was busy trying to find the red-and-white national flag.
\nThe flag is only used once a year but she was not looking for it
\nbecause she wanted to put it up. Instead, someone from the
\nneighborhood had come to our home and admonished her for failing
\nto hoist the flag.<\/p>\n
I told my mother that we did not have to do what somebody told
\nus and asked her why we should feel obliged to raise the flag on
\nIndependence Day if we did not feel free in our country.<\/p>\n
I feel I do not have freedom. Think about what has happened in
\nour country. We all have witnessed many adverse events which have
\nundermined our pride as a supposedly civilized nation.<\/p>\n
The colonial-style bureaucracy is still evident. Crime is
\nrampant and we are afraid to go out at night. We have little
\nconfidence in our police force which is supposed to protect the
\npublic. In fact, we believe it is police officers who are behind
\nthe criminal activities for money.<\/p>\n
The military shoots on civilians in Aceh yet people like me
\nfeel powerless to halt the bloodshed. We cannot do anything to
\nhelp the situation and we do not know who will take our
\ngrievance.<\/p>\n
What is the point of Independence Day in such circumstances?<\/p>\n
If an institution like Indonesian Corruption Watch cannot take
\nto court a person who has leeched money from the people, then
\nwhat does Independence Day mean? How can we trust our law
\nenforcers?<\/p>\n
I commuted by train during my studies at university. One day
\nat Gambir Railway Station, I saw a little boy being beaten black
\nand blue because he was caught selling something on the train. I
\nfelt sorry for the boy, who should have been going to school and
\nneeded money to survive.<\/p>\n
Reports say the son of a general was caught recently for drug
\ntrafficking. Nothing was done to him and he was allowed to return
\nhome; the policemen who caught him even apologized for the
\narrest. We can add so much more to the long list of lawless
\ndeeds, but bribery is always superior to the rule of law in this
\ncountry, and the culprits can easily make their escape.<\/p>\n
My only hope is that the coming government will listen to the
\npeople's voice and their cries for justice to ensure that
\nIndependence Day will really have meaning for them.<\/p>\n
SHINTA BENILDA<\/p>\n
Tangerang, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/why-fly-the-flag-if-we-are-not-free-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }