ALREADY, social media is bursting with jubilation, contradiction, conflict of opinions and with a noise level that is about to explode, and maybe implode in due time.
It is hard to open one’s Facebook and Twitter and to look at all those insulting words being hurled at people whose choices of leaders are not attune to each other.
Honestly, we only have one day to choose our leaders, but it is the process leading to that one day that make me sick to the bone.
Because the past administration was labelled as yellow by those sympathetic to the sitting president, people in the administration’s camp label each person not conforming to their views as dilawan.
Bongbong Marcos, another presidential aspirant, has made his color consistently red and yet his photos in Facebook of his filing is pink, which supporters of Bongbong’s nemesis, Vice President Leni Robredo, adopted in their elevated political advocacy for Robredo.
As if the race for presidency is just between the two but there is the also the late filer, Senator Bato de la Rosa, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (who has been bashing Leni as a fake unifier by abandoning the opposition), Senator Ping Lacson and believe me, even former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales.
It is good to express one’s choice of leaders in social media. A healthy debate among friends can elevate us to higher levels of thinking, but not the insults and false information just to level up whatever accomplishment (or perceived accomplishment) of one’s candidate.
But to engage in fights—which I hope would only be limited to verbal assaults and not physical violence, is another issue. This is not healthy, so please stop it before it gets worse.
Respect. There’s nothing wrong with giving the others a chance to vent their ire about your candidate, and you should also. But stop it there. Don’t let it affect friendships and even family relationships.
It is easy enough to block or delete someone’s derogatory statements about another’s candidate. I do it most of the time, instead of engaging in useless heated exchanges.
The air is toxic enough from the delta variant of coronavirus. Let us not add toxicity to the air with insults and hurting words about each other’s choices of leaders. Respect please.
Let us just pray that the real civil servant gets elected, by God’s grace, even if initially he/she appear weak and without a chance for winning because of lack of resources, machinery and network.
As it is our nation is deeply divided now. Let us not add to the divisiveness and discordant voices. Let us just listen (or avoid listening and engaging in debates).
Let those seeking higher posts fight for themselves and show us what they can offer.
For all you know, they don’t even know you and won’t know you at all, even in your next life.