An Everlasting Echo......

http://blogs.thenewstribe.com/blog/68710/an-everlasting-echo/#.UTnhFBzvsb0


An everlasting echo....


Raymond Allen Davis has worn many hats. A soldier in the US Army, an employee of a private security firm, a contractor for the CIA and a cold-blooded killer. On Jan 27th, 2011, Davis shot and killed two men in Lahore, Pakistan. Another man died, as the SUV rushing to help Davis plowed him down. The wife of one victim committed suicide when it became evident that she would never get justice as her government was planning to let Davis return to the US. The wife of the other victim was killed by her father over an altercation regarding the blood money she had received. All these people had to die because the killer was protected by his government and the victims were not.

So, if a gunshot in Lahore, Pakistan, is heard all over the world, why is it that the sound of exploding bombs shaking the roots of Pakistan and washing away scores of lives in their deadly shock waves fail to register in Islamabad?

Where is the efficiency, displayed by the Pakistani government to save an American, when it comes to finding the perpetrators of the massacre of Pakistanis in Quetta and in Abbas town? Are we supposed to shake our heads at the injustices of the universe and go about our business, as usual, as expected?

As buildings collapsed in Abbas Town and lives snuffed out, our leaders shrugged their shoulders and continued to pack for trips to foreign lands. It seems that nobody informed them that the job, that they fought so valiantly for, is not a licence to travel-- it actually has a description: public servant.

But how can we fault the Prime Minister for leaving Pakistan in the aftermath?  A little over a year ago the President refused to cut his trip to India short while our brave soldiers lay dead or dying under the unrelenting ice of Siachen. What is this siren song of India that makes our leaders dismiss our blood soaked soil as not even worth cancelling a trip over?

Violence is seldom the answer and yet it permeates the air around us. Tragedy does not end with just one act. It billows out and engulfs all those around it. People are affected in unpredictable and unforeseen ways. There are no limits to the lives destroyed by a single heinous act.

Until we have evolved enough to realize that perpetrating violence makes us lesser humans and the use of force makes us weaker, we need protection. We need to come up with a system of checks, balances and  the presence of a force that will protect the innocent bystanders from becoming collateral damage. In the civilized world this system is known as law and order and it is a concept that we should seriously look into.

Believe it or not,  the government is put into place to provide protection and oversight for the good citizens who placed them there.Go ahead, enjoy your finery, but please at least try to do the job you were hired for.  Being a person of power should be a humbling experience by the sheer dint of responsibilities that it comes with. It is not the entitlement that it is treated as. Pakistan has seen enough terror in its short lifespan. Children are being raised in an atmosphere of fear and violence. We desperately need the young generation to lead us towards a bright future, full of hope and prosperity. But if our governing continues as it has and this hostile environment persists, we will be looking at a generation who will either embrace this culture of violence or will be cowering in fear of it.

We need good governance and accountability, And so, Pakistan puts this question to all present and future elected leaders: Shall we begin?