Something wrong with government?

One sage once said that during peace, children bury their parents while during war, parents bury their children. Looking at TV pictures recently of parents burying their dead student sons was truly a heart-wrenching scene.

Why they have to die so senselessly begets a lot of questions, some of which are difficult to answer. Are the students' demands for reform so unreasonable that some of them had to be killed? Why do they demand reform in the first place? Is there something wrong with the present government? Why does the government wait for the students' demonstrations before it listens or acts in response to the students' demands?

It is always difficult to comprehend death when it comes to a loved one, especially "when it is not yet time". Of course it is only our Creator who knows when and how we are going to die. But when death is inflicted by one human being on another human being for unreasonable causes, we know that something is not right.

In any human interaction, there will always be a clash of opinions. And so arguments will always ensue. In a true and just society, discussions and arguments are the hallmarks of a real democracy. But one has to remember that there are always three sides of an argument. Yours, the other and the right one.

The main problem in an argument is, for example, if you have a thief who can be proven without doubt to be a thief, but argues that he is not and even insists that he is not and has the power and machinery to back him up, what will you do if you are on the other side? Continue arguing until right prevails even if it demands the supreme sacrifice of your own senseless death?

Perhaps the thief will call this is a stupid stance, but many will consider it a heroic deed to see the truth prevail.

I.G. ANACTA

Jakarta