Hot Monday
So maybe I was wrong after all. It does seem that there are many many Filipinos out there who attach some meaning to Easter Sunday given the fact that I woke up yesterday to find 38 text messages in my phone's inbox containing various Easter messages - from the religious to the profound to the ribald (about easter eggs). It seems the cash registers of the cellphone companies were ringing loud yesterday and I am sure the whole-page ads of Globe and Talk-n-Text announcing the lowering of SMS rates to 90 cents were worth it.
The text messages invariably spoke the same message: there is always hope for redemption in this world if we learn to accept God's will. I sincerely hope so. But I wish that people would walk the talk on this one.
Like I said, I rarely give Easter Sunday messages from the powers-that-be a second thought, except that yesterday, the President commuted the death sentence of more than 1,000 in death row. Naturally, the act has been given a political spin.
I am 101% against the death penalty because I firmly believe capital punishment has no place in a civilized society. I also believe that this is the essence of Easter Sunday, and it is sad that this powerful message will probably be lost in the din and dynamics of the current political bedlam. But I hope that the President will stick to this decision and that Congress will finally outlaw the death penalty.
I empathize with the families of victims of heinous crimes. Spokespersons of various anti-crime groups have already started to assail the decision. Yesterday, someone was quoted in PDI as saying it seems the President favors the rights of criminals more than she does the rights of victims. This is sad because I do not think that issue is about choosing whose rights should prevail or given more weight. If it were so, then there would be no need for laws and processes.
The text messages invariably spoke the same message: there is always hope for redemption in this world if we learn to accept God's will. I sincerely hope so. But I wish that people would walk the talk on this one.
Like I said, I rarely give Easter Sunday messages from the powers-that-be a second thought, except that yesterday, the President commuted the death sentence of more than 1,000 in death row. Naturally, the act has been given a political spin.
I am 101% against the death penalty because I firmly believe capital punishment has no place in a civilized society. I also believe that this is the essence of Easter Sunday, and it is sad that this powerful message will probably be lost in the din and dynamics of the current political bedlam. But I hope that the President will stick to this decision and that Congress will finally outlaw the death penalty.
I empathize with the families of victims of heinous crimes. Spokespersons of various anti-crime groups have already started to assail the decision. Yesterday, someone was quoted in PDI as saying it seems the President favors the rights of criminals more than she does the rights of victims. This is sad because I do not think that issue is about choosing whose rights should prevail or given more weight. If it were so, then there would be no need for laws and processes.
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