Hello, my darling purrrincess.
A Failure of Obedience
I finished reading A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt last week, my love. Like I said, my darling, it was a very good read.
The postscript clarified that it was a trial report which means it was primarily concerned with Adolf Eichmann, the individual, and his acts construed to be criminal acts not only be the laws of the victorious powers but also by Israeli law.
Indeed, it was a trial report, my love. But all throughout the book itself, within that report of the Eichmann trial was a disturbing trend that necessarily elicited from the consciences of sound-hearted people a certain vein of thinking that Hannah Arendt referred to as the Banality of Evil. And this "banality of evil" was the challenge she posited clearly in the epilogue of the book to the juridical sciences of the nations to attempt to apprehend it and to the moral sciences of common humanity to attempt to understand it.
The dilemma that existed at the time of the trial, because of the enormity of the problem that existed in the background of the events even at that time (1961-62), was that it was easy to overlook the fact that it's central concern is one individual and one individual only.
I myself am personally inclined to frame Eichmann's actions during those years that led up to the Final Solution to be criminal in as much as he has willingly and quite decidedly allowed himself to be gradually dragged into that complete moral collapse that characterized the criminal policy of the Nazi state. Because without this manifestly evil collusion, he would have not been able to carry out any of those acts for which he was being tried by the court in Jerusalem.
It was a failure of obedience, my Anne. In this, he is most certainly guilty beyond reasonable doubt. He allowed his loyalty to become so badly misplaced that he had allowed himself to become a willing instrument in the suffering, torture and murder of millions, yours included, my Miyang. For this he was hanged. And that was that, my Anne, so far as the trial of Adolf Eichmann went.
But as for the question of the banality of evil, our world is still coming to grips with it. My own Country in December of last year, my darling, passed R.A. (Republic Act) 9851 defining and penalizing crimes against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes against Humanity.
The calling of these times itself being a calling to peace require that we, each of us who are called to understand the calling of the times, all come to grips with it. But not because of there is so much evil but because there is so much good. From star to star, one whole sky...
Obedience is not a blindness, it is a loving - a loving obedience. And the heart of humanity was never made to love the evil in evil things.
Right now, along with my usual reading materials - the Scriptures above all, I am re-reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu translated by Ralph D. Sawyer.
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Here in the Philippines, my love, we are busy trying to better each ourselves as a nation and also as an undertaking of Country, a Republic to be sure.
One, Undivided Work
Any undertaking of Country, my darling, is a human endeavor. And if it were a sports car, it would have it's own unique model number.
It's make, of course, is of God. For the only reason we are busying ourselves with the labors of building up our inhabited earth is because the LORD, our God, has commanded it to be so.
It is a vessel meant to take our nation somewhere in time and space but more importantly, above and beyond it. And there are really only two ways to go, one is an ascendant path, a hard mountain road, as it were, that disappears into the light of our hopes together and the other a descendant one, an easy retreat down into the unremitting darkness of exile time.
Now, the engine is what peace each our honorable religions produce in each of ourselves as citizens to each other. Because unity is an aspect of our liberty as nations. And so here in the Philippines, our main engine is the Roman Catholic Church, my Mother Church. But that is not to say that my own religion is the exclusive force for positive social change here in my own Country, my love, for we share this work of building with another great religion of our world, Islam, and also with other Christian denominations. Because the fruit of all honorable religion is peace - above all the three, great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, of which I am a part.
So what is the Philippines, my love? It is a human undertaking of Country; a Republic with a soul of submission and a heart of peace. We are a human nation striving to be Godly, kindly and fair.
While it seems easy to just not care about this Country, my darling, I believe that we Filipinos know that we are all present here today not because of easy things, my Anne. We are here to build, build, build and we are going to do this because it is hard and worth doing.
We want a better Philippines for ourselves as human beings and citizens to each other - men, women and children - past, present and future. And I know a lot of Filipinos agree with me on this, because not all Filipinos are corrupt. In fact, I think there are more Filipinos who are not corrupt than there are who are truly and irreconcilably corrupt.
My people, my love, is a patient and a passionate people. Too, we are also an obedient folk. And I think that neither our obedience nor our love will either be misplaced or miscarried at this time. For I believe with conviction of faith that God has deigned to bless our democratic choices during the last elections because we were honest and sincere with our hopes together as a nation. I have a firm belief in our present leadership, my love - all of them - above all, our PNoy.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei
I personally think PNoy is a true blue Pinoy and that he has his heart set not just on the things of this world - a very endearing characteristic that I did not know about till after the elections.
I did not vote for him. I was not able to vote during the last elections. I did register with Comelec (Commission on Elections) but the circumstances of my confinement at the center prevented me from casting my ballot at the time. And even if I were able to vote, my Anne, I would not have voted for him. But that's not because I was divided in my heart against him or against any of our candidates for that matter, my love. Generally speaking, I do not vote because I disagree, I vote because I agree.
Besides, I never believed that I was going to vote to be right about my own personal choice at the cost of others, I was voting to exercise my right as a free citizen of this Republic. Therefore, at the end of the election process, as it is my duty to responsibly exercise my citizenship, I along with everybody had to concede to the choice of the quorum of the people.
And as I learned about our 15th President, as I listened to him speak during his inauguration, at his first SONA, and in the news, I understood how right we, the people, were about our PNoy. I understood that he too has his own heart set not just on the things of this world. And so now that we have made our democratic choice as a nation, as the question becomes one of perseverance, my darling, I can truly say to you today that he has most certainly gained my fullest confidence and support.
Political Graffiti
Senator Chiz Escudero recently filed a bill (2187) in the Senate, that seeks to criminalize the putting of politician's names on public projects.
Here in the Philippines, my love, it has become very commonplace to see these names on just about everything that the Republic owns, from schools to jails to passenger sheds to ambulances to trash cans and made from anything from paint to concrete to metal. And this, even if it were from a variety of motives, good or bad, is something I personally call political graffiti.
It is as if the Republic itself has ceased to become aware of its own longevity and that its life and vitality has become dependent on singular individuals. Because of this, our people are becoming used to building not with this longevity in their view and that matters very much, my love. For it has real effects on the way we live as well as the quality in which we are able to pursue this way of life - the Filipino way of life.
And this bill is something that PNoy supports.
I think it's about time, too. No more political graffiti! Way to go, Chiz, you are a citizen and a patriot. I too, hope and pray that this bill becomes law.
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I think mom and I are having dinner out.
I love you.
Always to always,
=^.^=
...the brightness of thy Banner undiminished in triumph waves, the glory of thy stars and sun are lights that shall ne'er fade...
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