Saturday, August 27, 2005
Antalan: True or false
By Roger P. Antalan
Dateline Igacos
WHEN we were young, way back in high school, one of my teachers used a number of exams to test our knowledge, such as essay writing, filling in the blanks, and multiple choice among others. Her favorite test however was the true or false.
Once, during a particular exam, a classmate did not know the correct answer and wrote "Trulse." When the teacher mentioned it to the class, we had a good laugh.
In college, we had to study harder. The true or false test was scored right minus wrong. No room for mistakes. As we grew older, in the rough and tumble of real life, the test became more serious. Especially when the stakes are high and the seeking of the truth has serious consequences. As JR Lowell said in his essay - "The Present Crisis": "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, the Strife of Truth and Falsehood, for the good and evil side."
"Trulse" is a funny, fence-sitting answer. The witty George Bernard Shaw suggested that "when a thing is funny search it for hidden truth." The present crisis of our country today is not funny. The tangled tale of the Garci tapes, the claims and denials of election frauds and cheatings, and the contrasting and contradictory claims of jueteng payolas by the so-called eyewitnesses have paralyzed the whole nation.
And Shakespeare, in The Merchant of Venice, has not spared others, no matter how well meaning, when he wrote: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." Please note that up to this point we are no nearer to the correct side, to the truth. The common stance of the majority of our people is to follow the rule of law. Yes to Due Process. And due process is taking its lovely time.
One recent survey says that "people are tired of news," we should not be. Let us remember what Cicero said: "Our minds possess by nature an insatiable desire to know the truth." For now, we may be confused. As the old saying goes - "T'is strange but true; for truth is always strange - stranger than fiction." It will take time. Be patient and let's not do anytime very drastic.
In the meantime, let me share with this "strange" prayer: Lord, sometime you have to break, so you can build - wound, so you can heal - let me walk in darkness so that I can see the light - let me be confused, so I can see the truth.
The simplistic formula is this: There are three sides to a question - Your side, my side and the correct side. The opposing sides, however, strongly claim that their sides are the correct side. There is a deadlock and the truth will remain hidden and silent.
The philosopher, Etienne Gilson, said: "It is not hard to find the truth. What is hard is not to run away from it once you found it." It would seem that the actors of the ongoing drama are veering away from the truth because of differing agendas and political motivations.
There are a number of pitfalls in the search for the real and true story during these muddled times. Just fill in the blanks if you think I'm referring to this or that particular group. Read my lips.
Let me start with the lament of Noel Coward: "It is discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit."
Truth does not hurt unless it ought to. But Blake gave a stern warning: "A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent."
On the other hand, Emile Zola, in "J'accuse," sounded an alarm similar to that issued by Philvolcs: "If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will grow and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it burst through, it will blow up everything in its way."
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