TAKING A STAND

A friend sought my advice about his predicament. He has very good credentials and these reached the attention of four possible presidentiables all wanting to take him into their team. All had their respective sales talk ranging from the good intentions of their candidates to the benefits, tangible and otherwise, that my friend would gain should he decide to join them. The emissary of one was even very persistent to the point that he brought goodwill money as a testament of their offer of friendship. What was surprising was that each team knew of the other teams’ offers.

Whew! He must have impressed them so much to woo him like that. He is no different from a college hoop player being invited by different professional teams dying to take him into their fold. The problem is he wanted to remain apolitical- politics was just too far from his interests. He politely asked each of the groups for additional time to think it over saying that after all, he does not need affiliation to extend assistance to any of their concerns.

My friend, just like each one of us will be wooed in the next few months leading to the 2010 elections. We will all be bombarded by their claim of competence and be courted with promises left and right. Like my friend, we too have to think more than “very wisely” before making any decisions for we cannot afford to make mistakes again. The outcome of the next six years after 2010 would be entirely dependent on whether we are willing to answer to the call of change.

However, unlike my friend who wanted to remain apolitical, we cannot remain as fence-sitters forever. If we do, we deemed to have waived any chance to sour-grape in the future over the misdoings of those who assumed to power because we did not lift a finger to scrutinize him.

Let us wake up then from our slumber and assert our right for a better six years ahead.