Monday, May 14, 2007
Unstained
I didn't get my index fingernail stained today. And I feel really bad for not being able to register so I could exercise my right to vote.
We say we want change. We say we want better things for our country. The right to a better future starts with exercising the right to elect the right people into office.
Sure, we're often left with the lesser evil. But when we pass up the chance to vote, we let the others who know less vote the people who bribe and kill then get away with a large fraction of their pork barrel. We let those who don't know any better decide for our future, and we let the evil waste the future of the rest of the country.
Would we want others to elect those candidates who throw grenades at others' homes, who gain support by giving out P20 bills (it is a sad fact that P20 means a lot already to most of our countrymen), who have so much to spend for their campaign ads when you can't really get rich as a government official...
I do get that it would be so much better if registration wasn't too much of a hassle and that there wouldn't be as many unregistered voters if things were so much easier. My excuse for not being registered is also something not really sound since I honestly forgot about it. It would be nice to have something else to blame, like the media, for not disseminating information about registration that much. I mean, hey, if registration ads were like these senatoriables' campaign ads, who would miss the deadline anyway?
We are responsible for the fate of our nation. We are responsible for our fellow Filipinos. Each time we pass up an opportunity to vote and to help the country, we neglect.
Next time, I promise to make time to register. Come May, my fingernail will say, "I just helped make change today."
