About three hours ago, I watched a movie in which priests, were involved
in the liberation struggle in El Salvador. They called it liberation
theology. I did not get to see the beginning of the movie, and hence did not
know the name.

    As I watched this movie, with its brutal tale of repression, abduction,
rape, murder, and callous victimization of poor defenceless victims, I
wondered to myself, to what extend do people debased their humanity in order
to consolidate their political power.

   What is all this power about? I watched the dynamics of the political
forces unravel; the contrast between a governing elite of corrupt, selfish,
and individualistically motivated people, with the backing of a highly
militarized presence, and the wretched, disenfranchised, poverty-ridden mass
of people, who have been given hope, a voice, and empowered to take their
destiny into their own hands.

    The consolidation of power, therefore, becomes a contradiction. Those who
control it, want to maintain it at all cost. They will murder; they will
rape; they will gun down innocent civilians who dare to defy their authority;
they will ruthlessly eliminate any opposition that seek to change the status
quo. In essence, they lost all sense of morality; they lost their conscience,
the ability by which they become human.

   On the other hand, those who do not control power, could no longer
maintain their position of subjugation, exploitation, and denial of their
basic and fundamental rights to life, liberty and prosperity; once given a
voice, they become a force to be reckon with. The outcome of this
contradiction, is the struggle between these forces that ensues. It can be
catastrophic, sometimes violent, murderous, intimidating, and at most times
lawless.

   People of conscience, like the priests in this movie, who cannot see the
mass of people wallow in poverty, while those who control political power
continue their nefarious activities of defrauding and impoverishing their
countries, were morally obligated to take a stand. They have to defend the
interest of the wretched masses, and in the cause some of them were brutality
murdered. There is a price to pay, but somehow, somewhere, someone got to
shout, loud and clear, that enough is enough.

     If only we can learn not to kill each other; if only we can be tolerant,
and not murder, abduct and harrassed our opponents; if only we can value the
sanctity of human life, and stop the misery that is visited on people and
their families; if only.... Let people get back their souls, and become human.

       Rene

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