A bill making vaccination mandatory for Filipinos – and perhaps even for aliens residing in the Philippines – has been filed in Congress. I hope it will slide through without any objections, or the over-acting interpellations that some members of the House are noted for. Over the years, I have noted that most of the ones always standing up to question proposed measures, are those who are not prolific themselves in filing measures that could benefit the citizenry.
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But this is one bill that, I hope, will pass without the usual overacting and attention-getting antics of House members. The virus is getting its way so fast, and if the proposed bill requiring vaccinations is delayed by all the dramatics, we may have lost a lot more of our citizens before it goes into effect. I suspect, though, that there will still be people who will refuse to undergo it, for one reason or another, but, I suspect, mostly of ignorance, or plain over-acting, but let’s not force them. Suffice it to say, that you have approved it for yourself and for your loved ones.
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Some people might say that we should leave the people of Afghanistan and the Taliban to their own devices, but how can the United Nations just stand by and let them annihilate themselves? Even before the actual entry of the Taliban and its seizure of government buildings and facilities, there had already been great fear among the Afghans because of the notoriety of the Talibans for taking advantage of young females in the areas they have entered. This is the area where I hope and pray, the U.N. will come in, and see to it that such criminal acts are prevented.
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Are the people, that is, the Talibans, not civilized enough to observe the protocols of civilized warfare? Reports about their attitude towards women and even young girls in areas they have invaded indicate that they are still not observant of the rules, okay, “protocol” is the word now, of conflicts. If they are civilized enough and knowledgeable about the modern methods of warfare, they would desist from abusing the women and even the young girls of the country, this time, Afghanistan, they are invading and, possibly marauding.
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I wish I could stop thinking, or writing about developments involving this current pandemic, but the worst reports now say that it is continuing its advances, with India as one of the worst hit. Let us pray for India that has been reported to be the host of 38 percent of all the COVID cases worldwide. One wonders whether their government has been doing enough to prevent the spread of the COVID, but it seems as if the vicious virus has a way of spreading itself around the world, hitting even the countries known for their advances in science and medicine.
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It is strange, though, that in this day and age, there are still countries, or leaders of, who are still in the dark ages when it comes to their treatment of women. In Afghanistan, that is now under Taliban control, women are not allowed to go out of their homes unless accompanied by a male companion! So equality of the sexes is still unknown in that country? Sorry for them and their backward-thinking leaders, they have no idea what benefits women leaders could bring to their people!
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Come to think of it, could it be that ours is the only country that has elected two women for president? I don’t think even the United States has elected one until now. Oh, yes, there is Senator Nancy Pelosi who is being eyed for the position, but that is not a fact yet. So, as far as equality between the sexes is concerned, our country has left even the biggest and richest ones behind. Remember we had two lady presidents, Cory Cojuangco Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and, call me a sexist, but I think both did better than some of the male ones before and after them!
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How can you blame them? I am referring to doctors and dentists, because I heard complaints that most of them cannot be found or called at their clinics lately. Even calls for appointments are not very easily responded to, but I guess, we should also consider that even medical people cannot assure themselves of immunity from this virus that China has shared with the world. What I can’t help wondering about is, how come we never hear (or am I the only one?) of statistics from China on this ailment that sprung from a part of their country called Wuhan? Or are they just keeping mum about their casualties?*
