The Dilemma


Today was decision day. I had to decide whether to stay or evacuate
my building. I like staying home with my books so I wasn't too
pressured. I had food in the fridge and everything I needed. I could
even go for a swim if I felt like it.

On the other hand, I woke up to a ghost town. News reported that
nearby residents were being hit by stray bullets. The chaos was
inching in closer to my apartment. The road I had just walked on
Friday was now off limits.

I spent the morning picking calls from worried parents and relatives.
Perhaps things wouldn't end so fast and I might be stuck in the
building for who knows how long?

I insisted on staying and spent the morning reading news. I wanted to
see different perspectives on events. Afterall there are two sides to
every coin. No one has a right to use force but then, no one also has
the right to just set camp downtown and not leave till their demands
are met.

Some people say that the government should just step down and give the
protestors what they want for 'peace' sake. Others think we should
succumb to foreign intervention.

My question to you then is this: If the government caves in to this
bout of protests and holds new elections then what? We will all live
happily ever after? I think not.

It will set a precedent for who ever disagrees with the election
results. If the government wins, the red shirts will come out again
and probably insist the election was rigged. If the red shirts win,
the yellow shirts would just come out to protest again.

It will never end and our economy would just go down the drain. We
would probably be haunted by repeated protests because if one could
protest and get one's way, then one will do it again.

It's like when you teach a child. If you spoil them with toys
everytime they cry, then they'll cry more often to get that toy they
want. They aren't going to ask you nicely for it.

Laws must be obeyed.

On my reading of foreign media I discovered that certain foreign media
were obviously biased showing only footage of soldiers shooting at
'unarmed' protestors. They didn't show the soldiers being dragged out
of their vehicles and being beaten by the protestors despite their
pleas to stop.

They didn't show the soldiers being fired at.

I also read the red shirt website and this morning's message to
everyone was that the soldiers were non-Thais so the red shirts had
the freedom to just attack without worry. Follwers were apparently
exhilarated at the news.

This frigthened me. It doesn't matter what nationality the soldiers
are, they are all humans. Humans with families and loved ones. Humans
made of flesh and blood like each and everyone of us.

I then walked to my window and saw black smoke billowing into the
sky. In the far distance I heard bombs. The rain had stopped and the
thunder too.

I decided it was time to pack my bags and leave before curfew time.

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