Sunday, July 13, 2008

The Choice of Death--the Princess of the Stars Tragedy

Even before my poll on this topic come to a close... allow me to share with you my thoughts.

As it is with all grand scale tragedies, pointing a blaming finger is always the norm and the Frank disaster and the "Sulpicio fiasco," as some people would really like to say, is no different.

Since the news on the sinking of the ship, people are starting to find someone to blame for the tragedy. Obviously, Sulpicio is at the top of the guilty list. Most people, especially those in close proximity with the victims, either by blood relation or just a friend of a friend of a friend are inclined to blame Sulpicio. Sulpicio on the other hand and those who knows somebody in Sulpicio who are convinced or tried to convince themselves of the seaworthiness of the ship is predispose to find others to put the blame on--like the Coast Guard or PAG-ASA. Round and round the blame winds out people and entities until the most guilty coughs out and accepts their guilt.

Also as it is with any tragedy with lots of death involved, the blame is heaped on the weary shoulder of the survivors and those who came out of it with just a little scratch. We've seen it on television, people derisively telling crew survivors that they are only trying to save themselves.

We'll, if you're the sister, mother or a friend of a victim you rightfully feel the need to say those things out of the overwhelming grief of the moment. But then no one should really blame anyone for surviving. Being there and enduring it while seeing all those flesh and blood cry out is a burden heavy enough to bear for a lifetime, adding guilt on it is really too much.

A lot of people may blame Sulpicio for the tragedy and these people have equally sound arguments to support their opinion; arguments though does not make a case. Facts alone would clear the conscience of all those involved in the tragedy. However, my intention here is not to convict or exonerate those responsible.

What I want is to somehow discuss the death of those passengers and all others who died during the typhoon. For many people, these deaths are the cause of anger towards Sulpicio, PAG-ASA, Coast Guard etc.. To their minds I guess, is the belief that these people should not have died without that tragedy; and the cause is... whatever mistakes that according to them was perpetrated by those in the guilty list.

We'll whatever their reason, as somebody I recently know would often say... "but that's to their own according." And so now, here's death "to my own according."

I have always believe that death is something that would come, regardless and no matter, when its time. The moment you die is the moment you choose to leave this lifetime. Life is a choice... death too is.

The death of someone, regardless of the manner, is with that person's full consent. You can never blame death on anyone. The manner of death, maybe but as to the moment of death, no. It is something that the individual unconciously decided on his/her own.

The freedom afforded to us to take control of our life is absolute and so as with determining our lifetimes.

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