16 May 2004
To Vote or Not to Vote
There's a peculiar habit among us - if a point cannot be justified with sound reasons, then shift the balance with meaningless words like 'responsibility', 'duty', etc. To not exercise one's franchise is akin to his not being a 'responsible citizen', many say!!
You have ten goons to choose from, and if you refuse to choose, is it intelligence or irresponsible gesture? People use such lofty, shallow words as 'patriotism' and send young chaps to war, to kill one another for petty reasons. If one refuses, he's termed unpatriotic and coward! Same goes with elections. These are all words seen through the glass of prejudice. Intelligence is to look at everything from a larger perspective. And refusing to do the 'normal' deed doesn't imply irresponsibility or inaction or complacence, but at times - and especially in case of such large-scale issues - it implies discontentment with the existing system and a belief that it can be made better.
When nations take to war, great, rational men don't give up their belief in peace, even if it means risking imprisonment or even being thrown out as refugees. It doesn't mean they are irresponsible. On the contrary. When all choices available are equally bad, it is absolutely sensible to stay away and remain focused on the possibility of a better choice.
So, if all the chaps contesting for the seats are goons it is 'demon'cracy. And it is downright immature to justify the deed of voting with the highly misinterpreted words like responsibility and duty. Sorry, we need democracy.
Rationalising something to feel good, I'm afraid, won't take us anywhere. If something's good, it's good; if something's bad, it's bad. No matter what it is. Dealing with facts is the first step to realise anything better. When something is not working, it's better to start anew than hypnotise ourselves to feel good about it and wait for the better moment. Complacency, in some cases, simply kills. Siddhartha would've chosen to remain in the confines of the palace and with all the relations, and yet discover the truth. He perhaps might have discovered too, but then he would never have become the Buddha.
Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: Ayitha Ezhuthu
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By aloque
16 May 2004, 9:30am [ Reply ]
WHOA!!!!!!! i cannot believe it. it is like you looked inside my head and wrote this blog. i was going to write something really similar. going to write it anyway. check it out.