Bush and Saddam open modern-day Pandora's Box
The growing number of antiwar rallies are clearly sending a message that the global community always wants to speak its mind on something that it thinks is unacceptable.
The antiwar campaign participated in by every layer of society also means that the level of our human solidarity is taking its own toll to a higher level.
However, pluralism in our society sometimes causes spontaneous action that leads to damage, riots, and, last but not least, "sweeping" (harassment) of Caucasians! Though some people assumed that it's just the idea of some "irresponsible morons", I couldn't help worrying about it. Under these critical circumstances, the accuracy of the news is crucial, I suppose!
Talking about sweeping, which I'm sure would make some foreigners' hair stand on end, I personally condemn such action. Some American friends involved in a conversation with me via short message service (SMS) admitted that nothing scared them more than waiting for the next item on President George W. Bush's agenda.
They were pretty sure that the morality of Indonesian people would ensure that nothing got out of hand. I honestly ask this question of myself: If they were ever to do such a thing, you know, sweeping foreigners, would that make any difference between them and those two (read: Bush and Saddam), who have ended up destroying innocents in order to release their fury on each other?
Not only that, the war's impacts have been extended to the move of boycotting U.S. products, which kind of sounded so lame to me! I totally understand that when our emotion takes up all the available space, we tend to do such ridiculous things. When I heard the news about some people trying to "seal" a "made in America", fast-food restaurant next to Sarinah -- golly!!
What's going to happen if the employees there feel the impact of such a move? If the cash is not flowing in that restaurant, would it make the company downsize, or even worse -- close down the business? mmm ...
Translation: As unemployment rises in the city, hurting American's economy by doing such a thing and sweeping foreigners don't make Bush and Saddam become buddies! Because, if I may say, Mr. George Bush and Mr. Saddam Hussein are so addicted to chaos! Probably they're going to share a room in that hot country up there -- Hell.
If we want to take a few steps back, realizing what's the worst that can happen in every move we make, I'm sure that every person in this country will come to a point where common sense and emotional feeling sometimes don't have to be on the same road.
It's hard to swallow the fact that becoming too emotional blinds our rational thinking. I think, some people, especially Bush and Saddam, need to look for a bigger Pandora's Box, to separate them from each other, in order to create peace in this planet!
--Faye Belnis