Hi Korina,
My name is Steven Hopkins, I'm an American engineer visiting Cebu. By chance, I came across your insightful commentary in the March 20th edition of The Freeman expressing dismay at the world's lack of resolve in confronting terrorism. The points you make in the article not only resonate deep inside me, but such concepts have recently borne in heavily on my psyche.
Has the world been populated with a new generation of cowards? Or, is it ignorance and apathy? Perhaps we are too busy with unproductive pursuits of the likes of Facebook and perpetual texting? Are we so absorbed in absurdity that we cannot look up from our iPhones to see the reality of our tumultuous world? Perhaps it is less painful to self medicate and hide our heads in the sand (or iPads).
Even a novice of historical study knows that history has demonstrated time and again that appeasement of evil is futile. Such can be expected from despots-like Ferdinand Marcos making deals with tyrants in Mindanao. Sadly, the same inept strategy has become legacy and its failures ubiquitous. Your government chooses to make deals with the devil; this is why you recently had 44 brave soldiers slaughtered. What was done about it?--nothing, only embarrassing consternation and timidity. I'm not picking on the Philippines government as even the current incompetent leader in our White House is proffering the same-appeasement and lack of leadership.
My father was a WWII sailor in the U.S. Navy during the battle of Leyte Gulf. Dad related to me much about General Douglas MacArthur under whom he served; the Filipino people had no better friend. He is responsible for your fine institutions and your fluency in English. Some say that when he left Bataan for Australia that he was running away from the encroaching Japanese forces. That is pure nonsense; he was ordered to flee because the Pentagon wanted to deny the Japanese military the propaganda victory of him being captured. The truth is, it is a documented fact that the man was fearless in battle.
At the time, the Joint Chiefs of Staff wanted to bypass the Philippines and take Formosa on their march toward the Mainland Japan. But, MacArthur would have none of it-he insisted that the Philippines be liberated.
The great general is probably turning over in his grave as the world wallows in cowardice in the face of evil which is again confronting us as it did in 1939. Your allusion to Captain Phillips was appropriate; good must triumph over evil as demonstrated by the Somali pirate who is currently languishing in a U.S. Federal prison. If a man insists on having sex with your wife and teenage daughters do you appease him and negotiate? Or, do you grab the nearest bolo and make him a eunuch?
In the words of the great general: "There is no substitute for victory!" I'll leave you the words that the great general communicated to Filipino people just moments after he waded ashore at Red Beach on October 20th, 1944 during the height of the fiercely contested Leyte invasion. I encourage all Filipinos to read his words once again and communicate MacArthur's courage to your leaders as these words came from a true friend with great emotion and are as important to Filipinos today as they were back in 1944.
Respectfully,
Steven Hopkins
Seattle