If I were to start blogging about serious things like politics, I would surely be shot down in a hail of virtual gunfire because my knowledge on the subject is microscopic at best. Meanwhile, in the real world, real people are being shot down by all too real gunfire, in broad daylight.
Recently I read an interesting article about how the attacks on the MTV studios was an act of patriotism. That term is being liberally tossed around with every passing day, as if the desire to see an end to the killing is in some way a measure of our love for the country.
How naive are we? The MTV studios are burned after they focussed on the suicide bombings in Colombo instead of the inroads the army had made in Kilinochchi. In the same way, Lasantha Wickramatunga, a vocal newspaper editor that has openly accused the government of corruption, is shot and killed while on his way to work.
In both cases, the government has 'appointed a committee to investigate'. Meanwhile, the US has released a statement saying that they "deplored the latest in a series of criminal attacks on the independent media in Sri Lanka and stressed that a free press that is not subjected to intimidation or violence was an essential component of any democracy". Why is it that the outside world seems to show more emotion and outrage at this than our own people?
This is the part where some smart-ass is going to question my patriotism. Screw you. I love my country. I may complain about the blatant corruption, the disorganisation, the lack of planning, the lawlessness, but I love this country. It is my home. I spent more than 5 years in India, and despite the fact that they are light years ahead of us in almost every avenue, they can never be us. There is a unique quality that I have seen only in Sri Lankan's, and despite the chaos that our nation seems to be descending into, that will never go away.
Recently I read an interesting article about how the attacks on the MTV studios was an act of patriotism. That term is being liberally tossed around with every passing day, as if the desire to see an end to the killing is in some way a measure of our love for the country.
How naive are we? The MTV studios are burned after they focussed on the suicide bombings in Colombo instead of the inroads the army had made in Kilinochchi. In the same way, Lasantha Wickramatunga, a vocal newspaper editor that has openly accused the government of corruption, is shot and killed while on his way to work.
In both cases, the government has 'appointed a committee to investigate'. Meanwhile, the US has released a statement saying that they "deplored the latest in a series of criminal attacks on the independent media in Sri Lanka and stressed that a free press that is not subjected to intimidation or violence was an essential component of any democracy". Why is it that the outside world seems to show more emotion and outrage at this than our own people?
This is the part where some smart-ass is going to question my patriotism. Screw you. I love my country. I may complain about the blatant corruption, the disorganisation, the lack of planning, the lawlessness, but I love this country. It is my home. I spent more than 5 years in India, and despite the fact that they are light years ahead of us in almost every avenue, they can never be us. There is a unique quality that I have seen only in Sri Lankan's, and despite the chaos that our nation seems to be descending into, that will never go away.
I hope.
Meanwhile, in the words of Collective Soul -
"The World I Know"
Has our conscience shown?
Has the sweet breeze blown?
Has all kindness gone?
Hope still lingers on.
I drink myself of newfound pity
Sitting alone in New York City
And I don't know why.
Are we listening?
Hymns of offering.
Have we eyes to see?
Love is gathering.
All the words that I've been reading
Have now started the act of bleeding
Into one.
So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below.
And I laugh at myself
While the tears roll down.
'Cause it's the world I know.
It's the world I know.
Has our conscience shown?
Has the sweet breeze blown?
Has all kindness gone?
Hope still lingers on.
I drink myself of newfound pity
Sitting alone in New York City
And I don't know why.
Are we listening?
Hymns of offering.
Have we eyes to see?
Love is gathering.
All the words that I've been reading
Have now started the act of bleeding
Into one.
So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below.
And I laugh at myself
While the tears roll down.
'Cause it's the world I know.
It's the world I know.
We are winning the war, but are we losing our soul......?
13 comments:
"We are winning the war, but are we losing our soul....? "
Exactly what I am afraid the patriotism 'act' might be doing to us Sri Lankans.
ps- I love that song.
They deported you from india at 5 didn't they?
I heart that song.
I guess the progress of the armed forces is really bringing out the patriot in everyone.
lol @ Jerry
=)
Hey... Good post!
"There is a unique quality that I have seen only in Sri Lankan's, and despite the chaos that our nation seems to be descending into, that will never go away"
.. and that "unique quality" is?
love the song.
yup. we are. desentisized. lost.
i think we're more apathetic than desensitised.
when i was writing my post, that line from the dark knight came to mind :)
i think we are desensitized and apathetic. because honestly, what the heck can i do?
@ spice: lets hope for the best i spose..
@ alicia: surely you of all ppl should kno tat by now.... :P
@ DC: seemed an appropriate song, huh? n im more worried abt us being lost actually....
@ PP: perhaps, tho i guess they're close enuf for them both to be applicable...
T: really? what a coincidence :) and yes, the sense of helplessness can be overwhelming...
You ignored Jerry and Me? =0
Await major tantrum!
lol @ Sabby :) this should be interesting...
And I think it's kinda progressive apathy.. we start out all rearing to go and then slowly find out that the only way to fix things is go out and risk ourselves and our families... and to be honest, noone really wants to do that, right? So we get quieter and quieter, until we eventually start ignoring it, because we feel like there's nothing we can do. Not saying it's right, it's just the way I see it...
@ sabby: haha :P
@ jerry: haha. ha. :P
@ hijinx: hmmmm.. interesting point of view... its interesting how everyone seems to have picked up on the apathy rather than the actual madness that we seem to be condoning...
Fool.
:P
If you're apathetic, you can't really focus on the madness, now can you?
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