Saturday, December 30, 2006 Editorials: Hope rather than fear
CELEBRATING the coming of a new year, at least in Philippine setting, always carries with it the caveat about care in the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic products and implementing a ban in the firing of guns to prevent injuries, death or damage to property.
This especially holds true this New Year considering what happened during the Christmas festivities: a deadly fire in Ormoc City aside from the usual injuries, all caused by accidents related to the misuse of firecrackers.
Optimism
Of course, there’s no way revelry can be banned in the interest of safety in such an important moment, where joy in surviving the past year merges with the optimism that the coming year usually brings.
Despite the difficulties many people encountered in 2006, for example, a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey conducted from Nov. 24-29 throughout the country showed that nine out of 10 Filipinos enter 2007 with hope rather than fear.
Which means that despite the indifference and negativism that seemed to have blanketed the country the past months, many do consider the proverbial glass as half full.
Bright side
Indeed, one can find reasons to be wary of the direction this country is heading in 2007 with the kind of political climate prevailing in the country and with a possibly tumultuous election in May.
But our past also shows that despite the challenges the country faced through the years we always made it through partly because of the optimism inherent in us.
The key in all these has never been our leaders, who often betray their mandate, but the people; politicians may spread negative vibes but the masses plod onwards and find ways to survive, choosing to dwell on the bright side despite the covering gloom.
Peace, prosperity
Thus it was that politicians and destabilizers were surprised that their efforts to foment anarchy for dubious ends failed miserably the past years; the people may have had enough of the political turbulence and negativism.
That the people, as shown in the recent SWS survey, chose hope instead of fear for 2007 should show the country’s leaders where the people want this country to go: to a period of peace and prosperity.
With that said, we greet all our readers a happy 2007.
