So I woke up this morning and went to the Starbucks to get a coffee. While at the counter, I bumped into my friend Diana and she asked me if I was going to the "Interfaith" rally (photo above). "You must be joking of course," was my reply. Truth be told, anything that mixes politics and religion seems as ridiculous to me as a horse wearing pantyhose. But having said that, I wanted to check who would be going to this thing. So I asked the barista in front of me if he was going and he said "no." Later on, I went to work out and asked the receptionists and the trainers if they were going and they all said, "no." I had a meeting with a client after gym and asked her if she was going, and she also said, "no." None of the waiters in the restaurant I had lunch at said they were going either. On my ride back to Malate, my cab driver said he wasn't going and neither was the lady behind the counter at Aristomart where I bought a pack of smokes and a lighter. And when I went on my afternoon tour, I learned that nobody in the San Agustin front desk was going to go to the rally, the museum's curator Father Galende wasn't going, Connie from the canteen wasn't going, and neither was Jun the janitor. My secretary Lesley wasn't going and neither was my maid, Joanne. And at Robinson's Midtown, the place was packed to the rafters with people NOT GOING TO THE RALLY. Furthermore, none of the neighbors on my floor went, my wife didn't go and neither did anyone from my immediate (or even extended family). And so I wonder, if none of them went and neither did I - WHO went to this rally then? Because if I didn't go and neither did any of the dozens of people I encountered today, then nobody went. Truth be told, I heard more complaints today about the traffic caused by the rally then about the ZTE scandal or about Gloria herself.Note to the organizers of these rallies: If you want to really get our attention, you must try to beat the 70,000 attendees of Beyonce's concert at the Fort. 15,000 to 20,000 is just Araneta Coliseum at capacity. C'mon! I can't take these numbers seriously considering we are a city of over 11 million. And while you are at it, try to bring in more people than the usual suspects who would be there anyway. Now, if you can get the office workers of Ayala Ave to start coming down from their buildings to JOIN YOU on the street instead of walking away from you towards the malls, then maybe you would have something. But until then, I hate to say it, the tipping point ain't coming and People Power JUST isn't gonna happen this time.
Sigh, I wish all this grandstanding and esoteric condemnation of "corruption" would all go away already. Truly, these guys need to find another more effective way to "get rid of corruption" or get back to work like the rest of us. This whole "People Power" BS is soooo totally going in the wrong direction and it's just becoming boring, annoying and sad. And judging by the crowd - less than a third of it's predicted numbers, I think many others might be agreeing with me too. I think the majority has spoken. We are all willing to wait two years. Deal with it.
Thanks nerdy_m4rc for the photo.
Thanks nerdy_m4rc for the photo.
