No power to change the past

One unfortunate result of education is the tendency to lay blame on the infamous "they". We all have a "they" -- be it as individuals, as groups or as nations. And there are untold advantages to fostering this concept.

We have the insensitive parents who are at fault for our current failures in relationships. We have the poor math teachers who are responsible for our inability to conquer math. We have legislators, governments, historical figures and events, all responsible for our current failures and grief.

"They" provide us with an excellent excuse to do little more than sit around and bemoan our fate. Equally convenient is the fact that "they" are no longer with us. Thus, we become involved in a battle with ideology, which is a much more formidable opponent. And herein lies the crux of the matter.

Having disposed of the infamous "they", we are left with no other option but to change the way we think now and to set about changing whatever ails us in the here and now.

Mr. Ridwan Sukmawan (On corruption, July 24) alludes to this by saying "...Do we want to commit such a despicable act?" The key word being, of course, "We." I do not dismiss our suffering at the hands of others, nor do I dismiss the conditions we labor under as a result of the past. My point is that we have no power to change the past, but we most certainly have everything we need to change the future. The question is are we willing to endure the consequences of taking up the battle?

Do we have it in us to repair and retrain our psyches? Do we have it in us to sit down and relearn math? Do we have it in us to do the rounds to get our vehicle documents (STNK) back? Do we have it in us to endure delays in our business transactions? Do we have the courage to change? If the answer is "yes,", let's, by all means, get on with it. If the answer is "no," let us stop complaining about the state of affairs we have chosen as an excuse for our inaction.

G. MORGAN CHAMBERLIN

Jakarta