YOUNG VOICE
Alien Elections
THE invasion has started. A contingent of flying saucers has landed. They take our own shape, our own likeness. The aliens have learned our language and customs. They leave codes on every lamp post. They take hold of media airtime announcing their motives. They claim to arrive in peace, but they wanted to lead and impose rule. But, these creatures are not united as specie.
They compete for the total dominion over nationwide authority. Each alien faction is gathering followers grouping them in blue, yellow, orange or green. Yes, they observe color-coding. The invasion will last until the fourth month of this year. By then, an alien leader will be sworn to authority basing on the majority preference of the earthlings. Yes, we lesser beings have the chance to choose who among the extraterrestrials will lead us to new routes, to new detours, to a new society.
Now, before you think this is some Armageddon prophecy, let me just break my metaphors and similes. I’m referring to the 2010 National Elections campaign period. Yellow, blue, green and orange aliens signify the multicolored decathlon of candidates. Whether billboards or lamp posts, they’re all covered up in posters of Facebook-worthy smiles and tarpaulin banners of Plurk-worthy messages. Primetime on television features more political ads.
Each candidate imposes one’s strategy to earn trust and confidence from the would-be voters. Feeding tens and thousands of public school children, sponsoring a mass wedding for half a thousand of couples or funding a concert of a chart-topping rock band for screaming schoolgirls are but some examples of these strategies. Generosity is a mainstay virtue for the campaign period. The overflowing kindness, promises, the sweet and inviting wordplay with a very convicting set of facial expressions get the future-voter adhere to a candidate’s sticky plan.
That is why beyond the generosity that may probably be temporary and the inspiring promises, many voters consider the beyond spaces as foggy and blurred. I will vote of Mr. X since he was the reason why I was able to have a stable job and feed my family. Now, wait a second, is Mr. X some kind of labor agency? Mr. Y has my vote because he promised that every poor family will have housing and a source of income for the breadwinner.
My friends, generosity and promises are not just the parameters for opting one candidate from the other. These are even just minor considering factors in order to make up the choice.
I’d like to share some points that would-be voters, especially the youth would hopefully consider during the campaign period.
1. Study the candidates. If we can research on how Isaac Newton developed the laws of motion through an apple or how come the square of the standard deviation is the variance in statistics, I guess we can also butt in a few minutes of research on the bio-data of the candidates. Know their academic achievements, their community involvement, their family issues, and on the sideline their love life. See how such factors shape the leader and how it can continually shape more of what he or she will become if placed in the position. Facebook profiles offers a wide array of personal information of the candidates.
2. Read about their platforms of governance. What are they really fighting for? What are they really pushing for? Know their advocacies and priorities. Their official websites are good places to start.
3. Don’t completely rely on their endorsers. Remember, hunky actors and sassy actresses can simply be paid millions of pesos to say something nice about a candidate even if there’s nothing good to say.
4. Be less selfish. Yes, he or she can benefit you and your dreams, but how about that of others? We need a leader not just for the poor, nor a leader not just for the underprivileged but a leader for all. Someone who can make the poor rich and the rich happier and contented.
5. Actively discuss. I always take time to chat with my friends regarding how the gladiators will fight in the political arena.
6. Discern than decide. I was taught in high school the difference of the two. Decision is based plainly on human will and intellect while discernment involves seeking divine intervention. We need God’s guidance to help us out in picking the perfect candidates for the job.
The invasion has started. For the next three months, these political aliens will be as omnipresent as cell phone load retail shops.
Everybody is in the battlefield, including us youths.
Vote and Live.
(Comments and reactions to reylangarcia@gmail.com)
