Lessons from a dark era; the martial law years

Lessons from a dark era

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ANCALERTS’ Twitter account received numerous feedbacks from kababayans, to answer the Question of The Day: “How would you explain martial law to the youth?”

One respondent said that if martial law were still in effect today, we would not be experiencing the joys of freedom of speech, nor would there be room for social media -- an unthinkable reality for the youth, especially at this day and age.

Most young people take these present freedoms for granted -- unknowing of the dreadful and difficult journey that older generations had to go through, to get to our democracy.

Perhaps, by recalling the horrors of the past, we would be persistently reminded that the fight for democracy is never over.

As the great US President Thomas Jefferson once said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”

It is inevitable to pass the torch of freedom to the younger generation. But in so doing, it is our responsibility to educate them and make them aware of their duties, as the new guardians of democracy -- to ensure that they will keep the flame alive for generations to come.

(www.asianjournal.com)

(LA Weekend Sept 24-27, 2011 Sec A pg.12)"