SRPC wrote me an email as a response to Ahmad's message:

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Hey Katie, I was going through your diary and was able to read the mail sent by Ahmad. Impressive thoughts and insights using logic and reasoning. See, here's the thing, we continue to think as such, to use intellect in order to open the thoughts of "many." Unfortunately, the so called "many" who can understand such a way of thinking are the educated and the well to do people who don't need convincing or explanation why FPJ should not run . To highly criticize why FPJ should not be president, to enumerate his inadequacies as an individual is pointless if the masses cannot understand or has no medium of understanding. For some, their judgement is based on how many times they can eat in a day and for many it is based on how they can continue with life with dignity. Have you not noticed that many opt to sell their votes just for a meager 100.00 Pesos? Of course, 100.00 pesos here in the province for example can sustain a family of 4 for two days. Not bad for them. That's two days less of worries right? Here's another thing, let's not put so much blame on the poor for such a decision. What has the rich businessmen done to help them in their suffering ? Please do not take it as a communistic view, rather, a Christian point of view (and no, I am not for Eddie Villanueva either). What has the rich done really? What has the professionals done to improve our country's economic situation? The very law makers who wanted to impose VAT on the professionals made it a point to exclude themselves right? I mean, all the other professionals, the medical practitioners and CPAs get taxed but the lawyers were not part of the list. Pretty self serving don't you think? What has the big businesses done to help in terms of taxes? Hmmm...let's see...they are able to go about the laws of the land in order to lessen the taxes they pay but the small and medium enterpr ises are literally squashed to the ground because of all the taxes. If they can't make it as a VAT business organization, they pay a percentage tax. The very little amount they earn still gets taxed. Tsk tsk....what a pitty. Oh, and let's not forget the laborers. Their meager daily wage is taxed to the last centavo. Pity. We all know that 'tax' is the lifeblood of the government, unfortunately, these taxes are not properly distributed to the specific government agencies, it's like carrying water using a bucket with some holes in it. By the time it gets to it's destination, the bucket is already half-full. When the government budget is not sufficient, a new tax is imposed. So going back to my main thought, as I have been babbling, what is really missing is our share as citizens to help alleviate the conditions in our country. First and foremost, as professionals, we should pay the right amount of taxes. As a Filipino, to suppo rt our very own industries, to get rid of our colonial mentality and as a person, we should live out our Christian values, to help others without counting the cost and not leave everything into our own hands but seek for divine intervention, to pray without ceasing. Let's stop our attitude of "puro da-da walang gawa." If you can help in opening the eyes of most people to do such deeds, things will be better.

Saludos y Dios te bendiga,

Steph

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You have a very good point there, sis. Actually, we can't entirely blame the poor for their misconceptions and misunderstandings on politics. It's not their fault if they remain unknowing of what's really happening in the big picture. Yes, their everyday lives are spent earning a living for a day, and it is quite leisurely for them to spend even for a broadsheet to learn about the news, or even to buy a simple AM radio. Sometimes I think people up there meant it to be that way to stay in power... but of course that could be dismissed as a conspiracy theory... or is it not?

What we need to have political maturity running on its first paces is quality education for the Filipino. Ah... political maturity for the Filipinos. Dream dream dream.... will it be a reality sooN?

Calling OW Grant! (from the movie Interstate 60) We need all the help we can get from the media if we want to have this wish come true. If only TV stations would remove themselves of biases and prejudice...

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