On being humane

How could we make being humane a way of life in this world? How could we tell everyone to be kind, nurturing and good to everyone? Christians view being humane as part of being Christ-like. Political ideologues theorize and practice an ideology, with being humane embeded like a package into all the discussions. Government officials skirt the issue and think in terms of laws and implementing them or perhaps, they think that their work exemplifies already one's being humane.

This word humane really interests me. You see, we have different ways of relating with the world, with our societies. We think differently - on how to be of service to others, or on how to have a more meaningful life. But we generally think that to be humane is part of being human already.

Now, some people think being humane is time-bound: they may be humane now, but not tomorrow. They may be humane towards one particular group of people but not with some. Yet the word is etched in the UN Declaration of Human Rights; so everyone is expected to be humane.

If persons are part of a group of authority, what are the boundaries of their being humane? Is it being humane to stop others from exercising their human rights? Of course it is not and that is why there are many investigations going on, especially in the case of extra judicial killings in the Philippines.

So what we mean here is that to define being humane is to put up a model for human relationships. What is the relationship between two people, between one person and a group of persons; between and among groups of people? We say being humane in all these instances is being kind, nurturing and good, is it not?

But supposing one is in a position of putting into order the lives of other people, like government officials. Being in a position of authority, then they are expected to follow the UN Declaration of Human Rights and to insure that everyone is treated humanely, whether a criminal, a prisoner, or just a plain citizen. Unfortunately, not all government officials are of this bent of mind. Some even do away with lives of other people, those journalists and members of legal mass organizations, some of whom even belong to the religious sector.

From my end, I would like to ask: Is authority vested with that right to invade the privacy of people, to tamper with their things at home, to hire relatives or maids or servants to steal things of people who are committed to exercising their human rights? Does being in a position of authority give that right to them to do these things, with impunity? I have experienced such cases in many instances and I am appalled because I believe and practice doing things in the most lawful manner. I even publish my writings or get them to be published so that I would be known as acting and working on legal grounds. Yet, I have suffered from my laptop being hacked, my USB flash being pilfered (with the thief, seemingly in the know where and when to get it from my bag), my planner containing telephone lists and dates with people, being stolen or misplaced in the confines of my room, and even my celfone being jammed -- important phone numbers being suddenly delisted. Worse is paying people to act in a derisive manner towards me in public and in meetings with people where they have planted spies. And worst of all, is the sexual harassment. Once, I went to a spa to get a massage. As I was lying down on the bed, a masseus came in with a cellfone, and turned up the dimmed lights and suddenly flung up the blanket covering my body. I was too shocked to know what had happened. But I never returned there anymore. I knew that somebody had order her to do this to me.

Here is where I think being humane is no longer being practiced by the intelligence staff in particular of the Philippine government. and that intelligence is no longer used to advance being humane; nor government budget used to follow the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Anyone who criticizes, even through writing is considered an enemy of the State and is to be stopped at all costs, whether to steal, supposedly borrow or even destroy those things that a person uses to advance his or her ideas, and so much more: to bring down the self-esteem of that person in order to paralyze him/her from writing and criticizing.

Let my writings be records of human rights in the Philippines, under a woman president who does not squirm nor flinch at any of those instances mentioned. I believe that history later on will be written about her - and pity her grandchildren and great, great grandchildren for being a willing captive of a military that has no qualms about being not humane.

Sometimes, I think I am being drawn to be not humane, myself, by the situation I am in. during those instances, I breathe in and out, exhale and inhale, and blank my mind to get a fresher view of life.

Till then, have a nice day.