REFLECTIONS
NEXT?
Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD
A
round the late 1960s and early 1970s,
there was unrest in the Philippines,
where I had been doing a rural modified pediatric /family medicine practice for 14
years. We heard that in the nearby countries
of Vietnam and Cambodia, the Communists
were taking over, sending intellectuals and
anyone who could protest their regimes to the
countryside, disrupting their lives and killing
and burying thousands who stood in their way .
It was also bruited about that the Philippines was next. In fact,
the local NPA (National People’s Army), the self-styled military
branch of the local Communist party, had been setting up cells in
the countryside, intimidating or coercing people into giving them
regular sustenance or else they would disappear. One never knew
if one’s neighbor was among these and if one’s family would be the
next target. Thus forewarned, people made plans to protect their
families. Some opted to leave the country before the threat became
full-blown.
This past year, our adopted country, the great USA to where we
fled, has been experiencing troubling warnings of a similar nature.
Despite efforts to live as normal lives as possible, we cannot ignore
the periods of unrest in the rest of the world. The last few months of
the year 2015 have been marred by the rearing up of the ugly heads
of hatred and intolerance. With increasing frequency and boldness,
we hear of mass killings, barbaric beheadings, mass kidnapping
of young girls, rapes and indiscriminate destruction of villages,
leaving thousands of people on the move seeking places of refuge
and peace. It has come to a head with the downing of a plane full
of vacationers in the Sinai desert and the coordinated massacre
of hundreds in the City of Lights, Paris. The perpetrators do not
value life as we see it, for they do not mind killing themselves in
the process. Thus, once more, we are reminded of the fragility of
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LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
life and the truth that no one knows the hour nor the day when
life ends. Then one day, violent death struck at the heart of quiet
peaceful San Bernardino, California. It could not be denied, then,
that the scourge is here too. Fourteen people died, 21 injured, as
the perpetrators, a married couple, gunned them down and killed
themselves in the process. Evidently they lived by another ideology
and do not value every life as we do. Thus, once more, we are also
reminded of the fragility of life and the truth that no one knows
the hour, nor the day, when life ends.
What are we to expect of the brand new year before us? Are we
going to live in fear, doubt and suspicion of our neighbors? Who is
there to trust? Will it nullify our better instincts of love and caring?
Are we fearful we may be the next targets for annihilation? Already,
the impact of violence has affected the priorities and politics of
our times.
History teaches us that in times of crises, people faced by a common threat come together, verify their ideologies, set common
goals, and through cooperation, achieve them. After all, we are an
intelligent species.
In Kentucky, our official seal includes the motto “United we
stand, divided we fall.”
Our future is in our hands. However we solve our problems,
may we be courageous enough to direct our efforts towards peace,
charity, and prosperity for all. We must trust that tribulations are
temporary and eventually pass away. To everyone then, blessings
and a great year!!
P. S. In the Philippines just before we left for the USA, martial
law was declared. Communist leaders left the country, illegal arms
were collected, and peace and order were restored. The Philippines
continues to be a free and independent republic.
Dr. Oropilla is a retired psychiatrist.