Fear, after all, is our real enemy.

This is a memorable quote about fear from the movie, "A Single Man" starring Colin Firth. :)

"The Nazis were obviously wrong to hate the Jews. But their hating the Jews was not without a cause… But the cause wasnʼt real. The cause was imagined. The cause was FEAR.

Letʼs leave the Jews out of this for a moment and think of another minority. One that can go unnoticed if it needs to.

There are all sorts of minorities, blondes for example, but a minority is only thought of as one when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority. A real threat or an imagined one. And therein lies the FEAR. And, if the minority is somehow invisible……the fear is even greater. And this FEAR is the reason the minority is persecuted. So, there always is a cause. And the cause is FEAR. Minorities are just people. People……like us.

Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. Itʼs how politicians peddle policy and how Madison Avenue sells us things that we donʼt need. Think about it. The fear of being attacked. The fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesnʼt believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. Fear that black culture may take over the world. Fear of Elvis Presleyʼs hips. Well, actually, maybe that one is a real fear. Fear that our bad breath might ruin our friendships… fear of growing old and being alone. The fear that we're useless that no one cares what we have to say."

Toastmasters

Do you bring bread there? Do you drink wine there? What do you do?

Yesterday, I've attended a meeting of the Toastmasters Club (Molave). I am not sure which division or chapter or whatever. I appreciated the thrust of the group where they aim to train their members in terms of their communication and leadership skills. Based from experience, one of the essentials of a leader is good communication skills. It is in the unique trait of a human being, to speak, that we can move people beyond the horizon.

In one of the prepared speeches, she has clearly demonstrated how the organization wishes their product speakers should be. Big. Bold. Brave. Big in a sense that its members are forced to think bigger. To see things beyond their reach. It pushes a person to think on their toes and to create something out of nothing. It is amazing to witness how ideas pop out instantly within a minute's grasp. In thinking big, one must be bold with their thoughts and beliefs as they communicate their deepest desires, cherished experiences and life's lessons to their peers. In conquering the stage before them, one must be brave in owning their stage. Be in command and cherish the spotlight.

One of the comments raised was not to let yourself be distracted by your audience. In a greater perspective, you must not let yourself be distracted by those who live around and with you. Be your own self, be firm on your stand and beliefs, stick to your own principles in life. Just wonderful.

They do not eat bread nor drink wine. They are just a group of people who would want to make a difference by simply talking with their peers. It is amazing how an explosion of ideas can just happen in a room with people of great intellect and passion.

Philippine Brand vs Chinese Brand of Justice

Last Wednesday, 3 Filipinos died due to being drug mules. My condolences to the families who have lost a precious member of their family. Drug possession in China automatically condemns you to death penalty. However, with the case of 3 Filipinos, our country would like to an exception. Does this sound wrong? As the Malacanang repeatedly stated, we must respect the law of China.

However, media, being their usual selves, feasted on this issue making the grieving process for the families difficult. While I was listening to the radio, one of the families announced of their wish to be left alone as they wait for their beloved daughter's execution. Still, media became persistent and asked the grandmother's condition. As I recall, the questions were: Kamusta na po kayo? Ano ang mga plano ninyo? Ano ginagawa ninyo ngayon? Well, of course, the family feels sad. Why would you ask them of their plans? Isn't this invasion of privacy already?

Even if the radio seems irritating at that moment, I had no choice but to listen. What deeply bothered me the most was the concept of milagro or miracles for Filipinos. The association of miracles with fairness or justice is a bit skewed. Instead of determining the culprit, we plead for a miracle in something that is innately wrong and beyond our control. It's as if Filipinos have easily given up hope on brining justice to the crimes committed. Instead of the media feasting on their emotions, they should have helped identify the drug recruiters (since they're good at finding people too).

What is sad about the Philippines is we don't recognize the value of what each Filipino brings to the country. In that loss of recognition, we, in the end, lose sight of a greater country. Working as individuals, competing against each other will not bring the country to a competitive level at par with the other Asian countries. When someone does, all industries try to shoot it down with all kinds of disrespect one can ever imagine.

Based on the surveys conducted by a certain station, many agreed that the government did what it can. I appreciated that. We all have our limits. We all live in a global world. The best we can do is to educate each other to prevent from having another humiliating event from happening in our country.

We are all responsible for their fate. Each one of us brings the Philippines with us wherever we go. To be considerate to your countrymen, stop, listen and think before doing anything else.

As I end, I would like to quote from an article I've read about the China execution, "moreover, we confuse justice with mercy, or to be more precise, the Philippine brand with the Chinese brand of justice."