In the immediate aftermath of the recent midterm elections, I posted this random musing on my social media page: “Looking at the election results (both on the national and local level), doon ka talaga mapapaisip kung dalawang Pilipinas ba ang ginagalawan nating lahat.”
Polarization is fast becoming one of the dangers facing our modern world. And not just in the Philippines; political and social experts around the world have noted that in this era of artificial intelligence, social media, “instant” content, misinformation, and disinformation, we as a society are becoming split into two irreconcilable factions with no common ground (or even desire) to work together.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “polarization” means “a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”
In my past social media postings, I have voiced my concerns about how some sectors of society have increasingly become intolerant of dissenting views. Not just among the so-called “DDS,” but also among the people on the left side of the political spectrum who have “cancelled” candidates who ostensibly belong to their political side, over seemingly “petty” issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights.
Cancel culture has become so entrenched that nowadays, most people on both sides of the political spectrum seem to nitpick, trying to find out NOT what can unite them but what they can use against those who wish to work with them. Instead of finding a common ground on where we can work together, we are now hell-bent on creating a world of our own where ONLY our own views and biases are tolerated and all dissenting views must be exterminated.
Heto ang tanong: paano kaya kung makaharap tayo ng isang sitwasyon na kakailanganin talaga nating magtrabaho bilang isang bansa? Handa ba tayong isantabi ang ating mga political bias at magtrabaho bilang isang lahi, isang bansa? O hahayaan ba natin na paghatiin tayo ng ating mga paniniwala sa puntong ayaw na nating kilalanin ang ating mga kalahi bilang kapwa Pilipino, kapwa tao, dahil lang iba ang paniniwala nila sa atin?
Naalala ko tuloy ang sinabi kamakailan ng bagong Santo Papa na si Leo XIV: maglatag tayo ng mga tulay ng pakikipagkasundo, pakikipagdalayogo. Sa mundong tila nahahati na sa dalawa, higit na kinakailangan ang bukas na isip at bukas na tainga.
Hindi naman natin sinasabing iwaksi natin ang ating mga prinsipyo. Ang kinakailangan lamang ay maunawaan natin na hindi lahat ng tao sa mundo ay kapareho ng ating pag-iisip at sitwasyon.
Hindi natin pwedeng gawing lahat ng tao ay kasang-ayon natin. Pero hindi ibig sabihin nito ay hindi na natin sila dapat isama sa sama-samang layunin: na ang ating mundong ginagalawan ay maging isang mundong mapayapa at masagana.
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