The terrorists have won.

Whenever I get my bags ransacked at every mall, airport, train station and cinema...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever I get frisked, stereotyped and deemed as a potential threat to security because of my clothes...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever I hear people complain about the government but helplessly accept the way things are as realities that we have to live with...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever I see people give consent to those in power to scare them with structures, laws and ordinances that take away their liberty...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever homeowners in subdivisions choose to protect their homes with gates, guards and stickers because they can afford to purchase a claim to their dwellings...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever, I choose to see the world as a dichotomy of 'us' and 'them'...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever I hear a preacher tell me to submit to man-made authorities, to accept evil as a part of a grand scheme of things or when they scare me with hell and then promise me heaven in a distant ethereal realm beyond this life...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."
Whenever I hear of an activist who would write a permit to practice their right to express their convictions...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorist have won."
Whenever I live a content life of TV, Facebook, individualism expressed in fashion and whenever I'd find happiness in the things I buy...
...I breathe a silent sigh and think to myself: "it's ok the terrorists have won."

3 comments:

Chuck Baclagon said...

We are living in an era that has often been defined as Post-911 (Post-September 11, 2001) where our definition of security or the sense of it is derived at the expense of civil liberties. After being a frequent LRT passenger and a passive consumer/enabler of the status quo I often wonder whether or not the terrorist have won I mean aren't those security measures serve as indicators of our fear that someone might be carrying a bomb? Are we not help captive by the idea of law enforcement personnel functioning as deterrents to criminal elements that in one way might threaten our security?

The answer perhaps may be yes.

Nuntanit B นันทนิจ บ said...

I really like this lyric, Chuck! And would love to hear the song!

Chuck Baclagon said...

hi ning,

Thanks for the kind words. It is much appreciated. Anyways the prose has been turned into a song by a friend of mine you can listen to it here
http://chuckbaclagon.blogspot.com/2011/04/happyboy-daisy-cutting-daisies.html