Letter to the editor - On the editorial "Impossible Dream"

Your editorial of March 30, 2010, titled "Impossible Dream" was rather unfortunate and amiss from several standpoints.

Firstly, the primary premise of this editorial contends that the "idea of extending free rehabilitation to all the country's drug addicts, as proposed by former Senator Tito Sotto, is the kind of idea that Cebuanos will likely describe as "wala kayo maayo pagkahunahuna".

Clearly, the author has prejudged the Senator's intent. With a little bit of research into the former Senator's comprehensive and thoughtful proposals for addressing the drug issues in this country, most Cebuano will in fact, agree that free rehabilitation for drug addicts is an essential elements in combating the drug issues in this country.

Rehabilitation has always been the preferred approach by most highly civilized countries over the penal approach of merely incarcerating criminal offenders.

Clearly, the editorial does not consider the cost and the eventual prize society will pay from the alternative of a penal-centric solution.   Indeed, the cost of free rehabilitation will be daunting; however, the cost society will pay will be greater.

Secondly, the editorial admits that there is nothing wrong with aiming at "impossible targets". However, your editorial falsely disconnects expectations from goal setting. After all, why would any person, organization or country set goals that they cannot achieve?

The fact is, those that set desire but seemingly impossible goals coupled with raising the expectation bar correspondingly higher have more often than not succeeded, leaving those that are satisfied with the status quo to wallow in mediocrity.

Former Senator Sotto's proposal is not new. Many nations are already providing free rehabilitation for their drug addicts.

Are we to admit that the Philippines is too backward a country that we cannot achieve what many nations are already doing?

Thirdly, perhaps it was not an accident to title the editorial after the theme song from The Man from La Mancha. However, the editorial misses the essence and the message that the song is trying to convey.   A shallow interpretation of Cervantes' Don Quixote will only describe a pathetic and schizophrenic caricature.

Meanwhile, what the author is really lamenting over is societies' indifference and loss of virtues championed by knights of the past.

Finally, I strongly urge all Cebuanos to look into former Senator Tito Sotto's track record. I am certain that they will find him not just as a dreamer and a visionary but also a doer.

These are exactly the leaders we need in this country.

Dr. Suga Sotto Yuvienco

Cebu City