Sunday, July 01, 2007 Lim: The war By Melanie T. Lim Wide Awake
THE war began long before I left home.
But I would have thought that after a month-long hiatus from my island residence, I would come home to find that our much-loved governor and mayor have buried the hatchet. To my disappointment, they are still at it and with as much intensity and ferocity as ever.
It’s getting a little tiresome to read the papers—still the same old political word wars. Can we deviate from the usual? Who can remember who started it all? And does it matter?
Perhaps it does. Because the one who was initially attacked will always claim the right of defense—if not the last word.
And I completely commiserate with that. I am, after all, a woman who in her saner moments will never attack anyone but will not hesitate to defend herself when attacked. Although I will not start a fight, I am not one to back off from a fight. And like most people I know, I like having the last word.
Yet, my experience has been that while having the last word is often of paramount importance in word wars—whether we are on the offensive or defensive, no one really wins with such a strategy.
Having the last word may fill us with some sense of omnipotence but this feeling, as we all know, is temporary. After a while, the realization of the disgrace we have heaped on ourselves will eventually dawn on us—but rather belatedly, after the damage has been done.
It’s not a fist fight. And thank God for that. But is a word war any better? Or any more dignified, mature or professional?
Both claim to be doing this for their constituents. But sparring politicians rarely do any good for the community. When each of them repeatedly take actions in retaliation of the other, who suffers? The very constituents they claim to love, serve and protect.
This is no longer an argument. This is not even just a spat or a fight. This is an all-out war. And the collateral damage will be unforgiving to all of us—their constituents.
Despite the fact that I may not agree with the mayor and the governor all the time, I have to say that both have done tremendous good for the city and province, respectively. It’s a shame they must sully their record with these indignities.
This is not about fighting for the interest of the constituents. This is not about displaying the truth for all to see. This is about matching the opponent’s every move and waiting for the inevitable—surrender and retreat. Both are concerned not with working for the interest of the people but by wearing each other down. This is child’s play. The Cebuanos deserve better.
It would augur well for Gwen and Tom to rise above their differences and raise the bar for public service in this country.
