12.08.05 kulturnatib

At a loss at our laws

There was a computer print-out note tacked on the bulletin board at the office. It said : Franciscan nuns will come to CDN to carol in the afternoon of Tues Dec. 6 2005. Donations are welcome. Sheila is in Italy.

This note immediately caught my attention as soon as I saw it because soon before this note was tacked on the board, there was a news item in our pages that said City Councilor Jack Jackosalem was instructing the police to strictly implement the recently enacted city ordinance that regulated the singing of carols for the purpose of soliciting funds.

Such regulation as mentioned in the news item included; December 16 as the official beginning of the time when caroling is allowed; such caroling is legal only if the carolers have an official permit from the City Hall at the cost of P50; such caroling will be allowed only within a specified time within the day.

I have no idea how many people are or were like me who groaned upon reading this news. Oh, no, not another unimplementable law! Oh, no, not another hairbrained solution to really a non-problem for most though maybe an irritant for the few – carolers being noisy thus disturbing the peace of a household or a neighborhood was mentioned as one the reasons for this law.

But, hey, carolers are always noisy. Thats the whole point of caroling. Christmas is noisy despite “Silent Night” being the top favorite Christmas song of all time.

And then, oh, no, not another occasion for our police authorities to be overextended trying to implement such laws, which then becomes another occasion for our police to implement it the way they are used to: haphazard, depending on how they interpret the law at any given time, with patent favoritism, lastly, and most disturbingly, with an eye for more opportunities to extort money or favors or both.

Lastly, oh, no, not another burden to an already suffering citizenry weighed down not only by their daily struggles but also from trying to continue living lawfully in the midst of patently stupid laws that only succeed in making otherwise good citizens thoroughly cynical of the law if not openly contemptuous of it.

These would be among such laws that Henry David Thoreau said was the obligation of lawful citizens to violate until they are repealed. Along this line, he concludes that the only rightful place for a lawful citizen in the midst of such laws is in jail.

The Franciscan nuns would be a welcome presence in whatever jail they should have been thrown in in violation of the law. They would surely light up that dark and dank corner some of our official government residences, bringing cheer and encouragement if not a salving balm to some poor tortured soul.

Too bad, Sheila, one of our erstwhile colleagues before she joined the Franciscan nuns, won't be able to share in this unique ministry that for sure was not contemplated by the bright city councilor who thought to bother himself with coming up with his law.