THERE IS an idiomatic expression in the English language, ‘to carry a big stick’, which may pretty much capture what lies behind our seeming lack of empathy and civic sense. Generally, that expression means having power over others and being able to get what we want because of it.
Most often, it doesn’t even have to mean literally having physical power over certain people; on the contrary, just having a feeling of superiority over them already becomes the excuse for getting what we want. Deep down, this is where entitlement leans heavily.
Some academics tie this down as the result of the different rungs in social status. In India, for example, where the caste system still runs beneath the surface despite modern thought, civic sense is almost a rarity. That reality is not so different from us. We’ve no caste system, but as the childhood play rhyme goes, “rich, poor, farmer, doctor” reflects what is a close cousin to it underneath the surface, and most often, if not unbridled insults and derogatory statements flung over social media, we have silent and unspoken discrimination.
To place everything here in proper perspective, civic sense pertains to possessing a conscious and applied consideration for whatever norms or mores a particular society may have at the present time. It is not merely limited to one’s respect for the law. In what is largely missed as an essential part of it, civil sense also looks to the ease and feelings of others, whereby maintaining and adhering to accepted etiquette during our daily interaction with people in the community.
As prime examples, there are those who indiscriminately leave their litter anywhere, be they in parks, malls, open spaces, etc. Some of these people believe in the premise, we have cleaners for that. That attitude smacks of being entitled to these workers. And then, in queues, why is it that it’s always those who are more physically fit or more socially superior who are liable to cut through lines? Transpose this to other situations that concern lines and priorities. Fact: be it in traffic, lines to the cashier, bank, or fast-food outlets, there will always be someone who will be bold enough to flash their entitlement card and practice one-upsmanship.
Years ago, the city employed two significant ordinances which, on the whole, reinforced what is civic sense for everyone. These were: no loud music after 10 o’clock in the evening and smoking only in designated places. The premise of the first: people who had to work and children who had to go to school the next day need their rest. As for the second ordinance, health should be promoted; thus, more taxes on cigarettes were later imposed to discourage smoking. While these add-ons to civic duties may appear to be rules, to quote an Indian video presentation on civic sense, it merely defines it simply as empathy in action.
Have we samplings of both? I remember a ride I had in one of those closed air-conditioned vans plying the downtown to Calinan route. It had been nearing dusk, and half of us were office workers on our way home. At one stop, a group of five or six college students boarded the van. All, clearly in high spirits, talked loudly and cheered as they shoved each other for seats.
It’s not enough; they had accidentally hit a few commuters, and their noise clearly disturbed the whole car. A few minutes later, they quieted one by one, only after noticing all eyes on them.
After a long while, one of them whispered, but enough for all to hear, “but-anay ba diay”, translated as “why should they care?“
