The late US president John F. Kennedy once said: "Mothers may still want their favorite children to grow up and become the president of the land...but they do not want them to become politicians in the process.”
This is a very intriguing statement that needs proper discernment. Although, there is nothing wrong to gather this wish from ambitious parents for their offspring to attain the seat of the highest office in the government someday.
Perhaps, what can also draw our attention is the background motive of these forebears in influencing the future of their scions who would transform into adults to experience the grueling challenges of presidency.
In layman's perspective and in most realities, it is very difficult to divorce being a public servant and not a politician in actions, just like any person who is immersed in the quagmires of the omnipresent politics at home, church, community organizations and, of course, the government. As Google puts it: A politician is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder or a candidate for an elected office. And as a person who acts in a manipulative and devious way to gain advancement within an organization.
Politics as we can observe is funny, dirty, and risky. Funny, for the fact that there are those who always register because of their family names every election time, (even if they are not qualified), show their faces in the campaign paraphernalia, while some others are upholding shrewdly the gains of a dynasty. Dirty, for in realities the bad and the ugly ones will always prevail because of guns, goons, and gold while relegating the good candidates to simmer in defeat.
Indeed, politics is imaged as a business and greedy adventure to expect something in return from a service coated with lies, vested interests, and pretentions. And risky, for the fact the politicians expose their lives and personalities themselves to untimely deaths, sickness, tiresome campaign sorties, visits, mudslinging, and fake news.
During campaign periods, the voters are not always assured of the rosy promises to stop shady deals, drugs, and crime. These very citizens cannot expect total accomplishments and good developments on taxation, healthcare, education, infrastructures, tourism, employment, food stability, debts, foreign relations, and sound investments. If there are failures, the electorates can adversely create officials who are bossy, arrogant, liars, and corrupt.
When allegations of mismanagement are proven true, the officials are thick-faced to retain their jobs and wait for healing time when the citizens seem to forget and dwell on court victories dominated by maneuvers and technicalities. On the other hand, some foreign countries have officials who resign, go abroad, and commit suicide.
With prayers of hope, unity, and determination, this crucial stage will still expect a miracle to mold politicians to abandon the bad reputation and instead, religiously uphold the Constitution, rule of law, sound values and the Ten Commandments. These maybe are better said than done, but hopefully these can be done.
Lito Gador Tampus
Moalboal, Cebu