THAT'S all we can say about clamors by some to canonize 17-year-old Kian delos Santos who was killed by policemen in a drug operation. We shiver in distaste. We wonder where some people are getting their gumption to attack the government with everything they have including blasphemy.
But then, we take a step back, and see that the whole problem is all about drugs, and that is where the power is coming from. It's a scary scene.
But seeing everything politicized, every suggestion trash-talked, then we call on the families instead to take care of their own.
While it is most convenient to just leave your children with their gadgets as you go your merry way. Do not. By bringing your children into this world, you have the responsibility to bring them up well.
Communicate. Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and abuse. Make them feel that they can come to you when they have life-changing issues. Be there for them.
But most of all, listen. Listen to them when they talk about peer pressures, guide them on what to do, give suggestions, and ask them what action they consider best. Give some more suggestions if you feel that the options your child is thinking of will not be for the best. But do so like a peer counselor. Find fulfillment when your child opens up to you. But never nag them to do so. Should your child have a way to resist peer pressure that you think will work well, be supportive.
But most of all, and this is the most difficult of all in a community where illegal drugs fuel the family's livelihood: Set a good example.
Bottomline: Say no. As an individual, as a family member, as a family, and as a community.
This is not about President Rodrigo Duterte and his endless rants about illegal drugs. This is about the proliferation of illegal drugs that many are still denying, including government officials who benefit from this trade.