AUGUST 4 — “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
With our nation going through uncertain times, the words in the Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities come heavy with meaning. It is a time when we can no longer tell between right and wrong, between truth and lies, between fact and fiction. It is a time where the words of one man trumps and crushes the words of many. It is a time where oppression reigns and tyranny bares a cruel smile. It is a time where the shouts and rants and protests of the people are met with a deafening silence.
Is there hope? Will there be light at the end of the tunnel? Will dawn come at last? So many questions, so few answers. Perhaps we will not know and perhaps no one can tell. But history has taught that there can be hope and that no nation has gone to a brink of no return. History tells us that it is when darkness is at its strongest, hope, justice and unity will come forth. It is as if a test for the strong and the weak, the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor.
For far too long perhaps, we have been living in a comfort zone, being contented to be mediocre and basking in our own delusions. Could it be that it is in a time like these, that the fools can be made aware of their misguided wisdom, the rich of their disguised poverty and the strong of their real weakness? Could it be that only in times like these, we will awaken as if from a deep slumber and understand what has befallen us and gone on around us for decades? And could it be that we need times like these to unite our voices and stand forth with purpose?
Perhaps it is in times like these that we know who we truly are and what we stand for? Are we still a voice in a crowd screaming out our selfish wants and rights or are we a concerted voice, breathing and expressing a deep love for our nation, our country — the country we are born in?
As the day draws near for our nation to commemorate our 58 years of independence, can we celebrate? Yes, we will celebrate. We will celebrate the liberation of our minds from past ignorance. We will celebrate our awakening of purpose to seek truth, fairness and justice.
Perhaps the ones with power do not know. It is when our voices are stifled that we are the loudest. It is when our vision is clouded, that we see the best. And it is when there seems to be no defender that a champion will arise.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
