I stand corrected.

 We really are a nation of apathetic people. It takes so much to stir anger in us, or even indignation against something that is clearly wrong. It took two decades for us to finally wake up against a dictatorship and tyranny. Which is probably why there is little difference between today and 25 years ago!

 There was a time when students were dying from fraternity hazing. Where was the rage against this purely nonsense practice? It never even made a whimper. The families of the victims were left to pursue the cases themselves, more often than not going up against an alumni of lawyers! If media does not cover it, even worse! So the tradition continues, until the next boy dies from his brothers’ hands! Idiocy at its best!

 Now, a spate of road accidents where the drivers were apparently inebriated have made the news. Some deaths have occurred, but what caught the attention of some, obviously not all, was the nineteen year old waiter who was on his way home when struck by a Montero Sport driven by an apparently intoxicated young man. A rich, apparently intoxicated young man. The last I heard, the waiter lost all but one of this teeth, has multiple facial fractures, both legs crushed by being dragged by the vehicle and was in danger of having both legs amputated! To top it all off, the wife is heavy with child. Murphy’s Law in full play.

 The family of the driver admitted that the driver was indeed drunk, according to news reports. And that there was no need to file any charges because they will shoulder all the expenses needed by the victim. I wonder if that includes state-of-the-art legs in case he does lose both of them, porcelain teeth to replace the ones he lost, and income equivalent to the productive hours lost because of the accident? Hey, did I mention they were rich? I mean, is the throwing of money all that’s at stake here? Again, where is the indignation against drunk driving? None whatsoever!

 I believe there should be stricter, if not harsher laws against driving while under the influence of the devil, or in this case, alcohol. In the US, you have groups like MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. We should have a similar group like that over here, especially when even the MMDA and the PNP have a tacit toleration for drunk drivers! I mean really, has anyone gone to jail, or even paid a fine because of drunk driving? They probably paid the officials. Or in some cases, the families of victims for their painful silence!

 But like I said in the beginning, we are an apathetic people. It will probably take a high profile victim of a drunk driver to get people indignant, and clamor for stricter and harsher laws against the same. And that’s typically Filipino as well. Waiting for a mega disaster to happen, before rage, indignation and reforms are carried out.

 I stand corrected. We are pathetic at times.