When I first wrote Part I, I never really thought there would be another incident that would inspired me to the point of sitting down at my desk to write a follow up. I never thought 9th July 2011 would happen.
The last 36 hours has been nothing but a bundle of anxiety, angst and shame. Traffic disruptions and all aside, I think my main bone of contention was the gripe of terror that took hold of my insides as I watched the events of the day unfold on- and off-line.
The people of the city and country stood up today and marched with one intent, one voice and one purpose - Enough of this bullshit! Clean up your act or get the hell out of here! Of course, they are far more eloquent than I am, hence fewer words are needed.
And while I started today being apolitical, as the sun set and the sounds of traffic on the highway next to my window is still less than what it normally is - I am infuriated! For today, if not for anything else, my government held me a terrorist hostage IN MY OWN CITY!
For the first time in my life, I feared for my own safety and the safety of those I know and care for. For the first time in my life, I bundled the kids in the car and headed out to make sure the larder had provisions to last us at least a few days.
I still recall the last time we came this close, I had nonchalantly told my folks that if anything happened, since I was at the office, I would simply run next door and seek asylum. And in 1998, when the roads in front of the then-office (which was Lee Rubber across from the High Court) was cordoned off much like it was today, I play the eye-in-the-sky ~ providing updates via phone on where the water canon trucks were parked at. Even as the FRU stormed our building to evacuate us and I walked alongside men in amour - it was another day in my city.
But today was a different story. Simply because I waited and waited and waited for a voice of reason, for a voice in power to step up to the plate and call an end to the madness - it never came. I waited and waited and waited for the Main Man to speak yet again. But alas, apparently his voice and words are like the cards in Monopoly - you only get to use it once!
Add to it, the visual and written reports of police brutality just further befuddles me. It is so difficult to reconcile, especially since it is still fresh in my mind how I was advised to head to the nearest police station along the way of my Camino if ever I was in dire need of a stamp for the day and no one else was open.
Today was not the day for you to prove to those who put food on your table that you know which side you are on! Today was not the day for you to be trigger-happy with whatever weapon you were equipped with! Today was not the day for you to cast aside your brain and just be a stupid kambing-biri-biri! And for that matter - NO DAY EVER IS! For aren't you in uniform to protect and serve the people? Instead, you held us all at your ransom. AND, no prizes for guessing what your rationale of it is going to be tomorrow: We were following orders.
When we were away last month, one of the things that hit us really hard was the fact that "there is no place like home". But right now, if this is what home is going to head towards - I'll gladly sing in the metro for my supper and have my kids stand with a tin in hand in front of a phone booth anywhere else in the world!
When you terrorise your people the way you did today - you can only be sure of hell to pay when the time comes.
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