Sweet surrender can taste bitter

Your first night, ladies, may be called "Sweet Surrender". That is, if your man is also your sweetheart. I mean that he is your own choice, not imposed on you. Men, in contrast, must be more cautious in dealing with cases of sweet surrender. In their case, it may turn into bitter surrender, as Democrat Bill Clinton in the U.S. finds out. He admits he used to play the saxophone memorizing Can't take my eyes off you (A Boys Town Gang hit) but never plays at his white painted house the more difficult "sexophone" in the presence of Monica or whoever. To those who may doubt his words he will say with a suppressed smile: "Read my lips" under oath of course.

When the founding fathers of our republic drew up the Constitution, they looked to the U.S. (for inspiration) which had set an example of freedom of expression, free enterprise and respect for human rights.

But now many Indonesians are puzzled, bored or simply loath the relentless manner in which the media of that country is looking for proof that citizen Bill is guilty of indulging in practices of sweet surrender "with the wrong partner in the wrong place and at the wrong time" in violation of the Constitution.

Does it not matter that Bill has succeeded in improving the health program, reducing unemployment, boosting economic growth and international ties strongly asserting U.S. concerns "in the well being" of the world both through diplomacy as well as through other forceful means, thus protecting U.S. interests? His wife should be the first to roar like a lioness and scratch like a kitten if something is wrong.

I am not familiar with Mr. Starr whose dealings are incomprehensible. Frankly, I have no sympathy for him. It goes instead to the beleaguered Hillary and Chelsea. The Republicans may get a huge political or public relations gain, if Bill gets impeached. But what benefit does the media expect from continuously harping on such a lurid theme? I shudder to think of such repugnant morality and uncompromising expose by the media of the private life of the chief of the world state responsible for world peace.

Has the media no more useful preoccupations? Perhaps the Western press can learn in this respect from the East. I need to study more about the Grand Jury system there.

"Sweet Surrenders" relating to this country's first head of state were innumerable, told or untold. Sweet Surrender cases affecting the longest serving second president have been rare or were not leaked to the public. His political career ended nonetheless in Bitter Surrender following the student-inspired mass protest. The incumbent head of state has no record of Sweet Surrender stories. The way he sang Ismail Marzuki's Sepasang Mata Bola, during Children's Day at the Merdeka Palace, showed his acting ability has improved. There is a well-known proverb here saying: "Where there is sugar, there are ants". In practice, it means where there are good actors before the camera, they may be surrounded by attractive actresses. However, the absence of Sweet Surrender in media stories does not guarantee the absence of a Bitter Surrender.

To that end, Habibie's administration should stop using double standards in political and legal norms for, as the U.S. experience demonstrates, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.

This reform era under an interim government should be a sweet memory for all the people, especially the students and underprivileged, not a very bitter one, by bringing those responsible for the "Bitter Surrender" of rape to justice.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta