Who cares about COVID when Christmas is nearing? Certainly not the early birds who want to get their shopping for gifts and Noche Buena done as early as possible. So despite all the warnings and threats against those breaking the rules, we can still see shoppers crowding in the malls and shops without a care. Parents cannot disappoint their children, friends need to underscore their friendships, and lovers – how can they not take advantage of the season to please the beloved?
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This is the season for love and reconciliation, not only among friends and kin, but, alas, not for countries. The latest news that Israeli have killed a very important nuclear scientist of Iran is one big threat to peace, and to have this happen just before Christmas is truly frightening. Let us all pray that other countries, especially the biggest ones, will come in and mediate before things worsen. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill.” Wasn’t that the message of the first Christmas?
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But goodwill does not seem to exist anymore among some countries, and even among officials of such countries. Look at the United States that most people look up to as the best example of a democratic government. Their latest election has shown that the loser cannot accept his fate, and giving the winner a hard time in claiming his post. It must be very hard to accept defeat, especially if you happen to be the incumbent. And we used to think that Americans are good sports!
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By the way many celebrators of Thanksgiving Day in the United States must be regretting that they had ignored warnings against travelling on that feast day. The days after, the news was full of reports about surging cases of coronavirus and who can they blame? Now, can they give thanks for getting infected as many were found later? Forewarned is forearmed, the saying goes, but they ignored that, to their great sorrow now.
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I liked that homespun statement of U.S. president elect Joe Biden when he said after his win over Donald Trump. “America is back at the head of the table again”. In our language that means that the U.S. is the “cabizera” among nations again. Where was it during the presidency of Donald Trump? In the kitchen eating with the household help? I like the way this Biden phrases his thoughts. If he were a Bacoleño, I’d ask him to write a column for the STAR. Indeed, I would.
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I hope there are not too many Filipinos now living or working in Hongkong. It looks as if the natives there are not very happy about their country state having been turned over to China by the United Kingdom. Of course there is quite a difference between the British and the Chinese way of governance. Leading the protests are the pro-democracy citizens, but I guess they are outnumbered by the native Chinese. So if you are planning a Hongkong Holiday, think twice. It may not be fun – unless joining street protests is your idea of a good time.
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Meanwhile, our province and city should be thankful and we should all pray to be spared the floods that hit several provinces in Luzon. Not only does the dirty floodwaters contain all sorts of germs that could cause various diseases, but one of them is the deadly “leptospirosis” that comes from the urine of rats. So parents must prevent their children from playing in the floodwaters because it could be fun, but it is very dangerous.
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I forgot where I got the news that there is a proposal to prioritize top governments in administering the COVID vaccine – if or when we acquire it – and that’s OK with me. If it doesn’t work, they could be martyrs, you know. But I doubt if many of them will agree. They will probably play heroics, and say, let the “masa” get it first, we want to serve the poor first. But we haven’t got the vaccine yet, have we? Let’s wait and see.*
