The future implores
By Farah G. Decano
ON May 9, the Filipino people will cast their votes as custodians of the future. Because we are stewards of our children and our children’s children, we have been entrusted the power to determine the collective path that the next generations shall take. It is in our hands that we either lead them to progress or perdition.
As mere trustees of the next generations, we do not own them. Because we do not have proprietary rights over our children’s time ahead, we cannot use their future as payment for whatever debts we had incurred in our past. We must not even wager it for present gains.
The future implores us to do the right thing.
In order to help us appreciate our solemn right to vote, I am suggesting some difficult questions which we must sincerely answer:
Q: Do I realize that my right to vote has the corresponding obligation to know which candidate can best lead our country?
Q: Do I realize that knowing which candidate is best is not dependent on my common origin/birthplace with the latter, the language he or she speaks and his or her physical appearance?
Q: Do I realize that knowing which candidate is best is not dependent solely on who I feel sentimental for, or who my favorite actors support, or who my political benefactor endorses?
Q: Do I understand that knowing the best candidate for any position requires adequate research and not just reliance on YouTube productions from amateur or paid and unaccountable persons, and Tiktoks.
Q: Do I recognize that adequate research means fact-checking from credible sources which means counterchecking with two or more credible sources?
Q: Do I understand that among things I should check about the candidates are their character, family background, and record of accomplishments that are related to the duties of the position vied for?
Q: If I found out that some candidates have anomalous family backgrounds such as the commission of plunder based on a Supreme Court decision, several involvements in drug importations, extra-judicial killings of thousands of students and suspected drug pushers, and I still cast my votes for the unapologetic ones, am I aware that my vote is an imprimatur on their alleged crimes which makes me as guilty as they are? Do I fathom that my votes for them put as much blood on my hands?
Q: With blood splattered on my hands, can I, in good faith, embrace the youngest member of our family (whether my child, grandchild or great grandchild) and tell her that the future is secure and alright without scaring him/her?
Q: If I found out that some candidates lacked the necessary skills and I still cast my vote for them, am I aware that I am responsible for any blunder that these candidates commit due to their incompetence?
Q: Can I face my children, grandchildren or great grandchildren and tell them that the reason I voted for candidates with anomalous background and/or incompetents is my need for money, power or honor? Can I tell them that I traded their future for my present needs?
If some questions pricked our conscience, please let us stop being stubborn and discontinue the usual reply, “basta.” This “basta” which implies the determination to stick to a decision even without reasonable explanation will cause our collective downfall.
Please remember that our children, our grandchild or our great grandchild and those who are yet to be born are counting on us to give them a better future.
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