Ignorance is Universal1
Joann received a feedback from her article at Filipino Journal. A part of the comment (LLB daw siya, so I assume na laywer siya?) says that:
Following the rules and laws of our society need not be taught, it should be inherent in every individual. [Emphasis mine] People break the law because it is their own choice or they are ignorant of the law or by a mere accident. Your (sic) correct in saying that though it is discussed in (GMRC) in Philippine schools there is no emphasis on the law and it’s (sic) consequences. But even the most seasoned of lawyers does not know all the laws and it’s (sic) consequences. For all you know, knowing to (sic) much about law may lead to it’s (sic) controvertion. I believe that it is enough for the citizen to know his basic rights and not dwell to (sic) much on the law.
Okay, please enlighten me if I am wrong, but when did RULES and LAWS become inherent in every individual? Tell me, WHEN? Because as far as I know, whether you’re using frameworks in Psychology, Sociology and even Anthropology, I don’t think there’s such thing as rules and laws being inherent. When you were born, tell me, do you know that you cannot speed way over the limit? When you were inside your mom’s womb, do you know that stealing is bad? No.
His statements made me think. Yes, aside from the wrong use of “its” and “it’s”, the mispelled “Philippines”, among other things, something doesn’t sound right. I am not sure how Joann will respond to this, but for me, every citizen has the right to know what laws govern the society they live in. Otherwise, how are we going to exercise whatever rights we are entitled to? If other people are already oppressing us, how are we supposed to know if there are laws that will protect us from such maltreatment?
Sinabi na rin niya na if you know too much, you will just abuse the “power” and “privilege” that you have, therefore, it is only okay for Juan dela Cruz to know enough. But what is “enough”? Hindi na naman balance yung power. If the majority of the people in the society only know “enough” and then there’s a small group of people who “know too much,” nasaan naka-sentro ang power? What kind of government is he planning to set up, then?
Joann and I are talking about it right now, and really, I feel so strongly about it, it’s not even my article!
1 Complete line is “How can it be a matter of class difference when ignorance is universal?” from the book “Eats, Shoots and Leaves“.
Angela Solis grew up in the Philippines before moving in to Canada in 2003. She became a Canadian in 2006. Angela is 22 years old and an alumna of University of Manitoba with a degree in Psychology. She has been blogging since 2002. She maintains a 