Monday 7 January 2008

When We Stop Kidding/Lying To Ourselves

It is a new week and a new beginning. For each and everyone of us we have choices to make. Some we will live in regret, others we shrug off as lessons of history while there are others we are damn happy about because we decided on it and the outcome came out right. Yet, there are decisions we made because we have to compromise for the sake of harmony.

Source: http://villageofjackson.com/


I heard of many who told me it is useless to even contemplate on voting because the system is rigged. For every vote one place for the opposition candidate, some argued a phantom voter will appear to vote for the other candidate. So why bother? And it seemed hopeless afterall. Yet day in and out, I hear complaints, anger and demands for justice. Yet none will really stand up when asked to do something. They raise problems, yet no solutions in sight.

Some say, "Why don't we just leave? Let someone else take care of the mess."

Sounds good to me. I think I might take my chances elsewhere. But it will not be today. Neither will it be tomorrow. There is still time to fight the good fight. We have yet to receive the broom so why leave? If we care so much like an insurance salesman cares about his commission, being thick face may wear the other party out to a compromise.

Others say, "Ah, but that is idealism/stupidity+insanity. It is unattainable."

True but we have to start somewhere. If we are given the right to vote, why don't we do just that? Every vote given to the opposition candidate means the other party must work harder to get someone else to vote for him/her. Eventually, the hole will be too big to cover and when there are many holes to cover, how much soil can be toss around to cover so many holes?

There are only 26 million of us and for that matter perhaps 10 or so million voters. We can't expect overnight to have 26 million voters right? If it is truly rigged, then all of us disenchanted people should come out in full force to vote for what we truly believe in. That way, there will be many holes for the other side to find other voters to cover. Just because sometimes one may think the other party is stupid doesn't mean they are. I am quite sure they can count too.

Some again will say, "That is not practical. Not everyone will show up. Besides, I don't trust the opposition parties. They are too fragmented."

To that, I have to ask if you have learn about economics. If there are competition and especially stiff competition among suppliers, who will ultimately benefit? (Answer: us, the customers if you don't already know). Yet if we continuously distrust our main supplier yet grudgingly let those buggers charge us more each day and we WILLINGLY pay for it by calling it, "A fact of life", aren't we casting our lot with our main supplier?

Well, there is a reason why (excuse me if I offended you but I am not apologising for quoting the words from the Bible) we read this:

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8 KJV)

For when we doubt and receive not wisdom from God, we fail to discern and make the right decision. We then harvest what we sow and we curse the ground for yielding so little.

Who are we kidding anyway by our talk and no action? We now have a chance to make a difference. Yes, it might be small but we will enlarge the holes by our simple action. Do we have to pay to exercise our votes? What do we have to lose if we cast our vote to help widen the gap for the other party to reach? Yet by not voting, no one is there to toil the hole, to widen the gap. Everyone merely look at the other party as he slowly reach across and run off into the sun set while we look on with dust on our face.

Some say 1 vote matters little. Tell it to Rutherford B. Hayes who became a president because of 1 vote. Tell it to the Indiana congressman who cast that 1 vote who was also elected by 1 vote.

Yes people, you are upset, so am I. So let's channel our energy to something productive. Let's do something about it. All you and I need to do is use the pencil provided and cross the box which indicate support for the opposition candidate on the piece of voting paper provided. Then if the decision is just as we expected it to be, well, we know we tried. However, if we just criticise and do nothing about it by saying the system is unfair, who are we kidding/lying to when we have already cast our lot with the ones we complain about?

No comments: