wfn.org | TCN Editorial: The power of a citizen’s resolve

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3005 Edition

>September 28~October 4, 2009

Editorial: The power of a citizen’s resolve

>Translated by Lydia Ma

When the results of Penghu’s referendum on September 26 were  released and

we learned that 56% of voters had voted against opening casinos in  Penghu, we

must agree with Penghu Anti-Gambling Alliance Convener Lin  Chang-hsing and

say that this is Penghu people’s victory.

Despite President Ma Ying-jeou’s support for legalizing  casinos to boost

Penghu’s struggling economy and regardless of the Legislative  Yuan’s passage

of the Offshore Islands Development Act, Penghu residents used  their ballots to

tell the Ma administration they didn’t want casinos. The  result of this referendum

not only inspired churches and anti-gambling organizations, but  also created a

proud precedent of citizens participating in the law-making  process.

In the beginning, supporters of casinos besieged Penghu with such

overwhelming force that it seemed all was lost. However, as  ordinary and simple

peasants refused to give in to hopelessness and spoke out against  casinos one

by one, we began to see glimmers of hope and ventured to believe  that maybe,

just maybe, Penghu could be saved. In the end, concerted action  from casino

>opponents turned the tide.

Penghu residents didn’t disappoint us and became our pride.  When results

became official, we saw something emerge from media analyses that  we hadn’t

>seen in a long time – heart-warming hope.

For anti-gambling alliances, influencing the outcome of this  referendum certainly

wasn’t a walk in the park. They had their work cut out and it  wasn’t as simple as

organizing rallies and coming up with catchy slogans. Their  challenge was to

analyze and explain the political, social, economic, and security  ramifications of a

“yes” vote in a way residents could understand in order  to expose the lie that

casinos would invigorate Penghu’s flagging economy.

Anti-gambling alliance members and volunteers used internet,  mainstream

media, rallies, speeches, and even house calls so that they could  be heard

above pro-gambling campaigns. According to anti-gambling alliance  members,

they visited every home at least three times to ensure that  residents knew what

they were getting into if they voted in support of casinos and  these efforts were

rewarded in the referendum’s final result.

The story of Sisyphus in Greek mythology tells of Sisyphus being  punished by

Zeus and ordered to roll a huge stone up a hill before he can be  set free.

However, whenever Sisyphus is almost near the top of the mountain,  the stone

would always roll back to the valley and he would have to restart  again and this

>process would repeat itself day after day.

Sisyphus’s effort in rolling the stone is symbolic of a  stubborn hope that refuses

to give up, even if the opponent may be a mighty Greek god. Those  who

opposed gambling demonstrated the same unflinching spirit as  Sisyphus in their

recent efforts as they sought to preserve Penghu’s innocence  for future

>generations.

What sets Penghu apart from Sisyphus is that love, justice,  goodness eventually

prevailed over a Greek god’s curse. The results from  Penghu’s referendum

should encourage us all to believe in the strength of common  citizens and beckon

us as Christians to fulfill our duties by participating in civil  society. Let us become

like Penghu’s “simple peasants” - determined to do  what is right and pleasing to

>God.

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