When I decided to write on the question "do you agree that we live in a dangerous world?" and expressed my stand as "yes" during GP on Monday, I did it plainly out of choosing the best and the fastest way to producing a satisfactory script for my Prelims. As I paved my way through in words, my essay turned out to be a grim apocalypse - a little melodramatic, a little bleak - but it was all for the effect.
Little had I thought on Monday, that I would agree more with myself with each passing day.
We
do live in a dangerous world.
When I flipped through the papers today(yes, in DESPERATE attempt to salvage my ever slipping GP grades, in DESPERATION as the A's corners) the usual appeared - so and so arrested for such and such, such and such bombed what and when, who and who died in the suicide bombings. The papers barely reported any 'model city' nor 'good economic progress' or 'stable political states'. Of course, the nature of the papers is to report the
happenings around us, and these
happenings always entail harm and instability to be classified as
happenings worth the reports.
I continued flipping nonchalantly, occasionly displaying vague interests in articles talking about bombings(somehow I must have been desensitized towards such kinds of violence, as your GP tutor puts it), until I stopped dead at this picture depicting an angry guy burning a country flag. Not just ANY country flag - it's the MALAYSIAN flag. A gasp escaped as my reflex.
Burning national flag is showing outright disrespect to the country whose flag is being burnt. To me, burning MY country flag, when MY country isn't doing anything which provoked the international body, is A CRIME. When my country has not done anything so infuriating, it makes me wonder, what's that hatred that drove the guy to burn the flag? People burnt so and so's flag, because political representatives of so and so said such and such that provoked another so and so, so much. What has Malaysia done?
Then I understood what the karma was. So there was this rally that turned violent, which ended with open fire by the police, injuring two of the rioters. OK, standard protest-turn-bloody scenario. It started with a rally, then a protest from those who thought otherwise, and then some mysterious encounter between two individuals with differing beliegs that translated into a full scale, large scale hostility between ALL members of both communities. And now what? Figures from political parties supported by those in the clash 'supported' their supporters, by shooting daggers aimed at those at the opposing side. Retaliation followed, and everybody is poking everybody else for starting everything.
People were injured, so people were angry. When people get angry, they vent their anger and frustration(and also the element of injustice, in my opinion) on other people, furthing infuriating others. So, everyone got so angry, that they don't see the priceless value in people's life, or the sanctity of life. Then they go killing each other in the end.
The thing is, what was the trigger? I dare say, other than the very first two people who had the mysterious encounter with each other, which unfortunately cannot be verified since everybody is putting the blame on everybody else, further complicating the matter. So, from perhaps just a brush on the shoulder, just a 'tsk' from the irritated person, it became a deliberate push, and then pre-mediated fight, and then, well, what you see today.
If you ask me, they are STUPID.
So they finally made it to overseas papers. With nothing so noble to be talked highly of. Then readers - those with eyes so discerning and calm in sorting the causes and effects out(something those in conflict are oblivious to) - come around and comment on their stupidity. What a good image you painted of your country to foreigners.
Essentially, as I put things into perspective, it is to gain attention - something the guy said particularly correct. The media's, the government's, the citizens'. There wasn't even a need to protest in the first place, if it wasn't for fear of losing out to the opposite party. Maybe I'm too young to understand the game of politics, but why can't those who are not in support of the party organizing the rally just keep quiet? The elections are coming, and surely people are out there trying to campaign for popularity. Even if they are not in your favour, is there even a need to throw stones at them just because they entered the town you reside in? You don't own the town, and certain not every single person in that town support the very party you support.
So what's the agitation, what's the deal? Can't you - you who call yourselves
Malaysians - wake UP and grow UP?
Normally people burn national flags from other countries not native to them, in display of extreme hatred. But the guy who was captured was a MALAYSIAN, burning the MALAYSIAN flag. I feel like grabbing his collar, shaking him violently to disperse that clot in his brain that caused him to react in this, unjustifiable manner. Slapping him would just dirty my hands further.
I conclude that I'm rather nationalistic. I see the good in my country, and I see the efforts the leaders put in to bring the country up the ladder of modernization. I certainly would not approve of those trying to discredit and defame them.
You see, someone amongst us actually hates our country so much, that they will burn our flag with so much hatred. The camera captured only one guy, but who knows how many such people are out there, amidst us?
A dangerous world indeed to be dwelling in these days.
