Whose fault is it?

Each day that passes, it becomes more and more frightening as the number of people who are infected by the Coronavirus disease is exponentially increasing. This pandemic has put all of our lives on hold, forcing most of us to stay at home for almost four months. So suddenly, the majority of establishments and businesses have closed. So suddenly, our education and occupations came to a halt. So suddenly, highways filled with countless vehicles stuck in heavy traffic turned into mere lonely pavements… So suddenly, our busy days turned into boring ones as we stare at our walls, thinking of something new to do every single day.

At some point, we become sick of it all. Nothing good comes out of this — people are dying, the economy is declining, many have lost their jobs, people are getting hungry, the country’s debt is increasing, commodity prices are getting higher, and many other problems which are mere repercussions of a single disease. Sometimes, we can’t help but to put the blame on others… Blame the Chinese people for eating bats in the first place, blame infected people for spreading the disease, blame the government for its poor decisions, blame everything around us. But have we ever thought of blaming ourselves?

Do you, for a second, feel guilty for going out on the street just because you are craving for ice cream? Or the time you broke the rules just to meet with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Did you say something when your mother invited your neighbors over so they could play cards at your house? Or when your father was drinking beer with his kumpares? How about the time when you pretended to be over 21 years old just so you could enter the mall and buy your skin-care products? Do you still remember the time when you attended a birthday party while the community was in lockdown, but criticized a policeman who held his own?

I am not saying that Sinas’ action is acceptable; what I am saying is, the wrongdoings of others do not justify our own mistakes. Just because someone else did it doesn’t mean that it is already right. And how hypocritical can we be to call out others and do the same thing? You probably did not attend or host a party, but you probably violated one of the rules while in quarantine. Wrong deeds are the same for everyone — the only difference is the officials are in the limelight. Being a normal citizen doesn’t give us the license to act differently.

We often see people post on social media, ranting about the bad decisions of the administration. However, don’t we realize that our complaints cannot solve anything? Have we ever thought of how difficult it might be, especially for the President, to decide upon things that can have a positive or negative impact for the whole country? We might think we do, but the truth is, we don’t know the pressure, the struggle, and the repercussions that may arise upon every decision. I am not taking the side of the government and my family is not affiliated with any politician; I am merely taking things at a different angle. There are countless times that I disagree with the administration’s actions and decisions, but I understand that rants and criticisms will never change them. 

Instead of ranting, we should consider thinking, “What could I have done if I were the President?” And unless we have concrete answers to that, I honestly think we have no right to judge. So whose fault is it? The answer is, it doesn’t really matter. We are already in this situation, and there is no point in pointing fingers anymore. Rather than being negative about all this, we should think of ways on how to make the circumstance better, starting with ourselves. It’s all easy — do not go out unless necessary, practice good hygiene, and live healthily to have a better immune system. Three easy steps to help ourselves and the government alike, but for some inexplicable reason, other people just can’t follow these. A wise man once said, “Change starts with you.” If you want to see results, then be faithful in small things, even if it means compromising.

LAYOUT BY: Chester P. Cortez