Norms for democracy

www.manilatimes.net
Friday, November 07, 2008
EDITORIAL
From The Manila Times

Once again the United States of America, our former “mother country”—in other words, the state of which were were a colony), has given us and the world an example to follow in the ways of democracy. In particular, the conduct of last Tuesday’s presidential and senatorial election is something we Filipinos should try our best to emulate.

Yes, there were mild instances of voter registration and possibly actually voting fraud. But these were immediately resolved. And the cases reported in Ohio, which seemed to be the worst, were apparently shown to have been wildly exaggerated.

Before nightfall of election day, there were already states in which the clear winner—between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen John McCain—as well as the winners of the senatorial contests were already known. By Tuesday night (Wednesday in Manila), the final winners were known so that The Manila Times Thursday issue already had the frontpage headline “MR. PRESIDENT” with the large picture of President-elect Barack Hussein Obama.

The transparency of the electoral process, the probity of election officers, the vigilance and fairness of election watchers of both the Democratic and Republican parties are things we Filipinos must resolve to have in the 2010 elections.

All the hate that anti-Americans all over the world have felt and expressed these past years for President G. W. Bush seemed to vanish with the victory of Mr. Obama.

For he has become a symbol of hope for a better America and a better world. The fact that he is the first black to become president of the United States made not only African-Americans but also all minority people of the United States weep with joy. Even Filipino Muslims—our Moros—and the Arabs are pinning their hopes for a world without war on President-elect Obama.

Once more the inspiring vision of a clean US election recalled—to those who have America in their hearts like many Filipinos as well as, for instance, many Englishmen, Japanese, Koreans, Hong Kongites and Indians—the opening words by Thomas Jefferson of the Declaration of American Independence and the peroration of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. These documents were learned by that generation of Filipinos who experienced being members of the American commonwealth. They are still studied by students of political science everywhere in the world.

Says the preamble to the US Declaration of Independence:“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness . . .”

And says President Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

McCain’s example

The defeated Republican candidate for president, Sen. John McCain, is well recognized as an American hero who “started making sacrifices for his country since he was 17 years old.” Held as a prisoner of war and tortured by his Vietnamese captors, he refused to be freed as a special case when the North Vietnam officials, on learning that his father was an Admiral of the US Navy, wanted to release him. MrCain wanted his fellow prisoners to be freed with him.

In conceding defeat to Mr. Obama, Mr. McCain again gave an inspiring example of patriotism. As soon as it was clear that he had no more chance of winning, Mr. McCain called up Mr. Obama and congratulated him.

Then he publicly announced his concession, calling on all Americans and particularly those who fought for him against Mr. Obama to unite behind the new leader of the American nation.

“My friends, we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly . . . A little while ago, I had the honor of calling senator Barack Obama to congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love,” he said.

“In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance.” He then paid tribute to Mr. Obama’s virtues and gave special acknowledgement of the historic importance of America’s having chosen the first black president of the United States.

Will we Filipinos ever become as patriotic in our politics as Mr. McCain? Will defeated candidates in our country ever learn to ask us, the citizenry, to unite and help the winning candidate succeed in doing a good job serving the people? Will defeated candidates ever learn not to work to undermine the elected officials?