Social illnesses

Social illnesses

From Merdeka

These days a lot has been said about prevailing violence in society, be it student brawls, turmoil in entertainment arenas, and the recent tragedies in Situbondo, Tasikmalaya, and Tanah Sangau in West Kalimantan.

We have also witnessed other forms of violence and sadism such as holdups and robberies which were often followed by the torture of the victims or even murder and rape. These facts have made many of us wonder why a community which is so well-known for its kindheartedness, politeness, and high religious morality has become so violent?

The seriousness of the situation has compelled the Muhammadiyah chairman Amin Rais, to appeal to the community to consider and handle the situation more seriously. House Speaker Wahono has said that our society is seriously sick. Some believe that violence is a pure crime and therefore deserves due sanctions according to the Penal Code. Other circles have said that the riots were engineered by certain groups or political affiliations that were against stable establishments.

All of us need to introspect, to know what our shortcomings are and diagnose our illnesses. Some may suffer from greediness and arrogance. Others may not be concerned with people's suffering, and still other people like to play with sensitive matters to create disturbances, etc. All of these social illnesses must be cured. And those who have become addicts need to repent.

AMIN OETORO

Bandung, West Java