Lost Poems

I had written you a love poem
From years and days ago
But I might have lost it, I think
Like many things I know

It had words that had memories
And had phrases that spoke
It sang the sweetest of love songs
I said kisses ago

I had written you a love poem
From you and ago
It had the love I once knew
And the pain I now know

Why Should Youth Partnerships between South-East Asia and India Exist?

(This was an essay I passed for an international program which I unfortunately did not qualify for. That was a bummer. But oh well, might as well post this.)

"Never mind the fact that building international partnerships in itself is beneficial in various ways. And never mind that harnessing the relational capability of today's youth could lead to endless developments across the board, but encouraging a partnership between the youth sectors in India and the ASEAN specifically could be one of the most brilliant propositions to come about in  the realm of asian development. This thrust could not only help build bridges in the individual level, but it would mean creating strong, long-term connections on an international level.

Most people would brush it off as typical International Relations, and that it wouldn't be much different than creating bonds with other countries. But I personally beg to differ. 

How so? Three main reasons:

Firstly, there is an unspoken, over-arching camaraderie present between asian countries, especially those in East/South-East Asia. Not only do we have similar colonial pasts, which has imbued its fair share of intrinsic values towards the people of ASEAN and India, but our own cultures in itself hold high value towards similar things in life (i.e. Religion, Family, Honor). This means that off the bat, there is an existing kindredness between both parties. There is an already-existing brotherhood present even before we say our first hellos. These similarities are what brings us together despite the distance, and will all the more bind us when we put more effort into bridging that distance. 

Secondly, the differences that exist between these cultures actively compliment each other. The subtle nuances in our ways of life allow us to remind ourselves to keep our minds open to these differences. These, accompanied with the said similarities, helps create this dynamic relationship wherein one does not become too intimidated with the unfamiliarity to shun away any form of interaction, and does not become too familiar to not expect anything new from the relationship. This leads us not only to establish a brotherly connection, but a learning one as well. 

And finally, our present circumstances allow us to draw ourselves nearer to each other. Developing nations, all working together in finding ways to make lives easier for everyone. Countries just brimming with potential, sharing ideas that could change the course of modern history. This amount of fresh interaction and discourse can be at the very least, groundbreaking. And who best bring all these ideas together but the youth? The very ones that hold the potential. The very entity the future relies on. 

Regardless of however these countries may approach the interaction, the important part is that interaction DOES happen. That sharing WOULD be a reality. Because we can't really lose out on the opportunity to harness the youth resource we have. We are asian, after all. The melting pot of development and innovation. If this plan would be done right, and with the intended key-players actively involved, the future is not only bright in the national sense, but brilliant in the global perspective."

Seen 4/30/2014 2:34 AM

Hi.

Hey there.

What's up?

Nothin' much.

Cool. 

Haha. Well, how about you?

I'm fine. Same same.

That's nice. 

It's been pretty lonely though.

Eh?

Haha. Seriously, it's been boring.

How's that so?

Dunno. Could be a number of things.

Like what?

Like, you know, the heat---god, it's hot

I know right?!

Yeah, or because it's summer

Aren't you in class or something?

We graduated together remember?

Oh yeah. Haha.

Whatever. 

Relax, I was kidding bro.

Screw you.

The hell?! Why you "screw you"-ing me for? 

Because you're an asshole. 

Why am I an asshole?

You really wanna know?

Yeah.

Well okay. First of all, how insensitive are you to reduce me to a "bro"? Me, of all people. You don't "bro" a guy you dated for three and a half years. You don't "bro" a guy you've made out for hours with. You "bro" someone who had tagay with you one time, you "bro" a fellow tambay, you "bro" a friend, a buddy, a kabarkada. I am---or was---more than that. I deserve more than a name you call hundreds of other people. I deserve either to be ignored or to be asked for another chance. Not this. Not "bro". So no, you can never call me "bro". Or bai. Or pare. 

Okay. Sorry abo---

Shut up. I'm not done. Secondly, how dare you act like you don't remember anything about us? How we met when I needed a lab partner and you got into class too late. How we bonded over five bottles of Sparkle and packs of Sweet 'n Spicy Pancit Canton. How we got to know that you were the artsy, writing guy and I was the math dork. How we fell in love despite failing grades and INCs. How we finally got our shit together and finished college, side by side, ten rows over. How dare you forget all about the life we had as best friends, as confidants---as lovers? As much as it is over, it still happened. You don't forget stupid mistakes that easily. You ought to remember us---at least the concept of us----even if it were as regrets. 

I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to hurt you, B.

Really? You didn't? You didn't mean to purposefully degrade me to mere acquaintanceship? You didn't mean to act as if I never existed? Like I never, not even once, took part in getting you to where you are now? After everything? No? 

No, not really. And well...

Well what?!

Nothing.

Tell me.

No, never mind.

Stop screwing around. Tell me. Tell me now.

Well, I mean, you know. YOU PMed ME, remember?

Memorandum of Agreement Between You and Me

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

            This Memorandum of Agreement, made and entered into by and between:

            ME, referred to as FIRST PARTY, and

            YOU, herein referred to as SECOND PARTY.

WITNESSETH

            Whereas the FIRST PARTY is a man who is willing to support, encourage and make true the hopes and dreams of the woman he loves.  And whereas the SECOND PARTY is the identified beneficiary of this undertaking.

Whereof, for and in consideration of the foregoing premises, both parties hereby agree to the following:

1. That the FIRST PARTY will agree to stay by the SECOND PARTY's side, and let her know how beautiful she is despite a so-called "bad hair day".

2. That the FIRST PARTY will always let the SECOND PARTY have the last say---no matter what.

3. That the FIRST PARTY will always let the SECOND PARTY know if she has some spaghetti sauce on her cheek to prevent her from embarrassment. 

4. That the FIRST PARTY will make sure the SECOND PARTY gets to splurge on her favorite ice cream and cake when it's that time of the month---if she wants to. Well, SECOND PARTY can splurge on them anytime she wants, as long as she's prepared for the tummy-ache the next day (which FIRST PARTY will ultimately nurse and slightly nag about). 

5. That the FIRST PARTY will hold SECOND PARTY's hand, kiss her on the cheek and hug her tightly when she needs it. FIRST PARTY respects SECOND PARTY's space and will only openly show affection when SECOND PARTY asks for it. That does not mean, however, that FIRST PARTY is cold and insensitive. Both FIRST PARTY and SECOND PARTY agree on the dynamics of this.

So haters can like, back off.

6. That most importantly, FIRST PARTY will work hand-in-hand with SECOND PARTY in making sure that they both GROW and FLOURISH in their personal walks with Christ. That by the end, when  at death they do part, they are secure of the other's ultimate destination. This is the most vital prong to this memorandum, and this bears the most value to the agreement. This, in actuality, is at the very core of the whole relationship---and should stay there for the rest of their lives. 

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have signed this memorandum of Agreement by their respective duly authorized representative on the date and place written in the Lord's Word.  

Amen.

Syncing

I touched your chest
And noticed we weren't in sync
So while you slept
I took the butter knife

I Cry

I cry for what this world has become
Where we hurt to get respect
Where we leave to feel wanted
Where we cry to be heard

I cry for all that we do
How we destroy so we can build
How we exploit to be fair
How we cry to be understood

I cry for the past we have lost
For the now that suffers
For the future we are unprepared for
For the fact that I HAVE to cry

To be heard,
To be wanted,
To be understood,
To be LOVED.

And I still cry,
And I will keep on crying
And I will never stop
Until I don't have to

Haiku for the Tone-deaf

We never sang well
You were flat and I was sharp
But we had music

Leaf and Breath

This pretty little land of candy
Lighting up what's fine and dandy
Lions jump and sing a song
Sheets of paper make it strong

Holding back and letting go
Strapping up, we never know
Mits of cloth just cover shoes
Tersely, stern, old, fat recluse

Full of love and what could be
Leave all those what could've been
Chant a song and say a verse
Sustain your awful-minded purse

Suits the hate yet more on joy
Use your vigor, you little boy
Zone out grief and enter light
Urban dreams and rural heights

Top it off with tearful songs
Sheets of paper made me strong
Urging me to just go on
Living life yet leaving wrong

Holen

I honestly think
of all the things I become
When I'm with you
I become a marble

You know, the blue kind
With swirly things in it
Because when you look through it
You say you see the ocean

But you know it's just a marble

Goodbye February

You, my butterfly
I caught for myself to love
Lie dead in a jar

The Joy of Christianity

Believing in God does not mean you're weak-minded. You can always know what atheists know. But you can believe on what they don't. 


Believing in Jesus proves you have the guts to give up what you don't know, and what you will never know to a belief that this limited, pain-ridden, unfair earthly existence is not the end of it. 


That there's something more. 


Something better. 


Something PERFECT.

Don't ever tell ANYONE--and I mean ANYONE--what I'm about to say to you

Ok, so here's the thing. I really, really, REALLY wanna tell you something. I just don't want to say it bluntly. That would be stupid and boring. And I know how you hate that.

No, really. I wanna say it NOW, I just don't wanna come off as cheap. I mean, who would want to know something like that in such an unprofessional, impulsive, uncreative way? I want to say it at the right time, at the right moment and with all the right feelings. Just to make sure I do it right.

I don't know when will that be, and neither will you. I'm planning it to be a surprise. You know, like how the time we flipped your car off the street? Yeah, THAT surprising. Like, AMAZEBALLS surprising. 

And I want you to not think about what I said and just relax and let yourself be surprised. I seriously want to see that cute face you make when you feel like you just shat bricks. Not that I want you to actually DO that. But well, you know, you get my point.

But seriously, I really hope you would be surprised. I mean, you totally deserve to be. I'm your best friend and I want the best for you. And I believe what I'm going to say would be best for you.

Well, I don't know. I mean I WANT to say it to you, but I'm not really sure you'd react and stuff. I mean, it's all mushy and stuff...

Ok, so I'm talking too much again. And there might be that off-chance of you already finding out what this "thing" I'm going to say is. But I don't care. We say things when we feel the rush of our emotions. Ugh. Gross.

Sooo yeah, I gotta go. I'll see you later? Maybe around 5? Whatever. Just text me.

Oh, and yeah, I think we should be together. Bye. 

(I had written this well over 2 years ago for someone. Haha. Youth, so stupid-inducing)

The Filipino Worth Writing For

When asked to characterize literature in the Philippine context, the most conventional way to do so would be to gather them thematically and just describe them by the topics they are about. And because of that, A lot of people would hold no regard for the correlation between the time these literary works were written and their themes. If they had looked more closely at how certain times bring about certain issues, then they would have found that it was more sensible to categorize literary works of art, whether here or abroad, by the time they were written. I did so myself, although not as in-depth as most historians, and I found out that not only were these works time of composition and subject matter correlated, but also the way they were written.

Let’s take for example, the pre-colonial era. Where datus and barangays were all over the place. Their main concern was NOT how they had to live under the oppression of the Spanish friars---simply because these issues were non-existent and more certainly, not their business. They wrote about their biggest issues at that time, their day-to-day lives. They had songs about fishing, poems about childbirth and stories about activities that you might consider today as “extremely mundane”.

 "Where's the bloodshed? There's no bloodshed?"

They had little problems, or more appropriately, problems that had a smaller range of influence. They were concerned with their own villages and so, had a very limited variation of topics they could write about. This constrained environment also affected HOW they wrote these works. Since they had their own villages to mind, they never found it feasible to interact with distant villages and share customs with them (except when their fighting against each other). Which lead to them enjoying their own little ways of expressing their creativity in their most conventional method---which, unfortunately for us, tended to be in ORAL form.

That, and a whole lot of booty shaking.

And so, the Spaniards came. They came and colonized our country, took over our government, mistreated our people, and engaged in constant war with us. Along with this came 333 years of angst-y writing, despising the Spanish rule and vowing that one day, we shall indeed be free from the “fell clutch of circumstance” (well that was from a Victorian poem, but you get my point). This actually was good for us Filipinos. We were introduced to new forms of literature, new ways to write things, and new things to write about. So, in a way, that Spanish colonization became beneficial for us---although in aspects not many Filipinos have learned to appreciate.

Well, depends on your definition of "Appreciate".

After the Spaniards, came the Americans. And they gave us English and the works that come with it. And that was mainly their biggest contribution in terms of literature in the Philippine context. We were taught how to speak and write in English and in return, we gave them works of art written in English  And aside from that, we also got to write about the many American exploits our people witnessed. Such as:

...well, I think it'd best if we move on.

And so, here we are, post-colonial Philippines. We have our government back, we finally have been recognized as an independent country and have gotten rid of our colonial roots, or have we? We have gone up from having such a limited variety of topics to talk about to having history records worthy of an Oscar for “Best Screenplay”.  We can endlessly talk about our country and still catch some attention. We cannot bear to leave our colonial roots behind as it was what opened our eyes and our imaginary brain-doors to what the world wants to read about. These bloody invasions MADE us who we are. And I believe THAT is something worth writing about. 

2013 FTW

This year will be the best year of my life so far. I don't know why or how, but it will.

This year, I will be happier than I have ever been. I will dream happy dreams and I will achieve them.

This year, I will be at my best.

This year, I will smile my biggest smile, I will laugh my heartiest laugh, and I will hug my warmest hug. I will enjoy this year, because it was made to make me happy. 

This year, my friends will say I look awesome. My parents will say they've never been prouder. And my girlfriend will say she loves me even more. 

This year, I am going to conquer my fears. I am going to be victorious. I will win. Even when I'd lose, I'd still win. 

This year, I will be the best man I have ever been. I will be completely different, yet very much unchanged. I will be filled to the brim, and I will overflow. I will be invincible yet fragile. Independently dependent. Chaotically serene.

This year, I will begin my journey of getting better and better. I will finally start growing, developing. I will finally start. This year. 

And I will be the best that I have ever been.

Will this year be the best year of my life? 

No, it won't. 

This year will be the best year of my life---so far.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

God and Facebook

It is saddening to know that a lot of Christians have a misconstrued perspective of Christ’s love. And because of this, they end up tackling the idea of spreading it in a very backwards way. They refuse to engage the notion of using the internet in sharing His word—all the more using Social media to connect with unbelievers.

This, my friends, should not be the case. The internet may be an increasing source of Church-deriding content, but it still remains to be one of the best ways to forward and share the joy and beauty of God’s love. And to further my point, here are three good reasons as to why:

• It increases its scope

Allowing Christianity to thrive in the internet would mean opening its doors to a bigger audience. It cannot be denied that the internet is one, if not the biggest, source of information today. Making an effort to increase your presence in the cyberworld would increase your chances of penetrating into almost every household computer. Not only will this mean more lives can be helped out, but this would also assure you that because of the Internet’s nature of preferential viewing, those who end up subscribing to your feeds made the organic and conscious choice to do so. Their attention was caught, they liked what they read, and they chose to share it to others. You no longer bear the stigma of “shoving” your faith down their throats. They now willingly accept it and by God’s grace, are continuously moved by it.

So put some time in making sure your posts are interesting, captivating and compelling. Because who knows, someone a million miles away may just know Christ through you.

• It gains relevance

Despite the fact that God’s perspective does not waver with the clamor of the worldly, it does not mean that we should be very backwards about presenting it to others. Allowing ourselves to be actively involved with technology and social media does not necessarily mean that we are compromising God’s principles and teachings. Rather, we are finding ways to better present it to those who might not have the chance to see it or gain interest in it. What would be the use of publishing ideas and notions, when your target audience wouldn't even be interested in reading it in the first place? Christians nowadays need to exude the image that they are not backwards and irrelevant, and that Christ’s love is not something that is only for the 19th century.

Proving to people that Christ’s presence in your lives does not hinder you from enjoying life—and in fact, makes it all the more enjoyable—would send a genuine message to them that they too can experience the relevant love of Jesus Christ.

• It allows it to grow

One of the biggest things to remember when it comes to sharing the Word is that we can learn from the process as well. It’s not just a one-way street. And in this case, focusing your evangelism efforts on the internet and social media would allow you to have a firm grasp on what clicks with today’s youth nowadays (considering how a huge majority of netizens are 30 years old and below). By observing how they interact, what they are interested in, and where they are most comfortable opening up, you can then channel your efforts in the most effective means possible. You not only gain relevance, but you also get to understand it.

It should be remembered that when Jesus Christ came to earth, he did not mingle with the powerful politicians and the rich tycoons. He chose to be with the tax collectors, fishermen and gentiles. He chose to be more human and relatable. And we ought to follow his footsteps. Yes, we may have a few rough patches along the way, but that’s a given. The satisfaction of knowing that at the end of the day, more people get to read about Christ, more people get to see how relatable Christ is, and more people get to touch YOU with their lives, grossly outweighs whatever hardships that come your way.  

Starting my Journey with Christ

All my life, I have been living in a Christian home. My dad happens to be a pastor, and my mom, a youth minister. I grew up to Sunday School, DVBC, Don Moen and Psalty. I followed rules, was rarely in trouble, and had been, in the most conventional way, a good kid. I was pretty much an "average christian boy". And along with that image of being a Christian, people would often think that I grew up with a contented heart, with a strong spirit and a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ.

But that wasn't the case. I WASN'T content. I WASN'T strong. And I most certainly WASN'T a steadfast, faithful christian boy. 

I had grown up feeling very empty and purpose-less with life---and I had NO clue as to why. I had a great family, I studied in a great school, my friends weren’t bad influences, and I had no vices at all.  I had no idea why I felt so meaningless. And so I tried to reflect on the decisions I’ve made throughout the years. My choice of friends, the way I dress, the shows I watch, everything, but still no use. There was not one decision in my life that I made that had an impact so great that it apparently sucked out all sense of "purpose-ness" and from my life.

Then, around 5 years ago, it hit me. All these feelings of emptiness didn't stem from a badly made decision, but rather from a necessary decision I NEVER ACTUALLY MADE. I had grown up in a home where Jesus Christ was the focal point of day-to-day life. I was living a life where almost ALL my decisions were based on what God would most probably say. But I forgot the most essential part of having a Christ-centered life: the choice to RECEIVE Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. 

It never occurred to me that I had been living a “boring” life because I treated all my decisions and all my actions as obligations which need to be complied and not taken to heart. I was living in a Christ-filled home, but I never had Christ as my life’s foundation. All my actions, all my choices were wobbling on the fact that I did them half-heartedly. I brushed them off like they were things that didn’t need reflection and personal input. I decided THEN and THERE that I would put Christ not just in the center of my DECISIONS, but also in the center of MY LIFE. There is that huge difference. And I felt that difference after I finally went beyond just superficially babbling the “acceptance prayer” and finally delving into having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It felt AWESOME. It felt like that void in my heart was just right of Jesus to fill. I finally had found my life’s meaning---and I had a family to back me up for that. They prayed with me and held my hand as I started on this very-familiar-but-unbelievably-new journey with my personal Lord and Savior. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had made a decision on my own and without any household stigma pressuring me to pick a choice. Actually, I chose to get rid of that stigma and chose for myself a brand new life, and a brand new path to take.

‎As I look back on the first few years of my brand-new life with Jesus Christ, I see how much things have changed. I have been a counselor and Program staff for numerous YoungLife camps, I started to lead bible study groups, I began to reach out to kids through tutorials, and I have taken part in volunteer missions for several youth organizations. I no longer felt useless, purpose-less and meaningless. I now have a new take on life. I can finally see, feel, hear, smell, and taste the glory, the honor and the love God has given me. 

Yes, the beauty and wonder of His love may have always been there. But the difference is just that this time, I finally chose to experience them.

I WILL REGRET THIS

Yes, this IS a Recording. Of me. Singing.
But while I'm still stupid enough to not take it down, go listen to it and have fun. :D

"Good" without God is not "Good"

(This stemmed from a conversation I had with a friend last night)

As Christians, being “good” is not as broad as how the world sees “good”. You can do the exact same thing non-Christians would believe to be “good”, but not really be doing good. Even if it was done with sincerity. 

We, with our flawed nature, innately do NOT have goodness in us. Goodness springs from God’s love for us. It’s not in doing things we merely believe to be right, but rather a manifestation of God’s love and glory overflowing from our hearts. 

We might save a baby from a burning house, but unless we do it for God’s glory, we are not really doing “good”. We act on our own "logical" belief that the baby should be saved, and not by our belief that God would want us to save the child. There is no God in the former. And without God in it, it cannot be considered "good". 

Universal ethics do not constitute what God considers “good”. Rather, Christ-centered ethicality is the main and ONLY foundation of goodness. God IS good. And He is the ONLY good. ALL THE TIME.

Open Letter to Ayala Center Cebu

Hello, my name is William Yasi and I'm becoming quite disgusted with your employees. You ought to allot at least A PART of your budget to train your workers on how to POLITELY and PROPERLY handle customers.

Here are some instances wherein I could hardly even see the "high quality" you boast of regarding customer service:

1.       Your supermarket staff would not allow me to return a leaking body wash bottle I bought minutes before because it's imported. Which means it's not part of your "return damaged goods" policy. And to top that off, they weren't at the very least courteous about it. They even made snide remarks at how picky I am about what I buy.

2.       The staff at National Bookstore preferred to chat about their love-lives rather than ask me what I wanted to buy. I stood there, trying to catch their attention, for half an hour before giving up.

3.       A security guard screamed at me for flagging down a taxi near the Krispy Kreme branch. I could've let that slide because I later found out it wasn't a loading zone, but what irritated me was the fact that he let half a dozen koreans ride taxis there before singling me, a filipino, out. How twistedly racist is THAT?

4.       Again, your wonderful supermarket staff rudely answered my mother's queries about fruit prices. She simply asked them how much the grapes were and the employee replied:

"Aw, awa ra diha maam. Di ba na klaro diha? (Why don't you try and take a look, maam? It's pretty obvious.)"

Is that the kind of manners you instill in your employees? I hope not.

I have had a few other blood-boiling encounters with your very unprofessional staff, but I'm thinking this would be enough for you to, at the very least, take action in trying to fix this.

It would be very disappointing to see one of the most sought-after establishments in Cebu fall short of what is expected of them simply because your administration FAILED to cultivate proper work ethics into your employees.

I hope and pray that you do take this seriously and do something about it. Thank you and God bless.

William Robert Yasi

Pacifying the Dinner War

Ladies and gentlemen, good day. I am here to talk to you about a very serious topic. Veggies. No, really. I'm here to address a growing problem about that stick of celery caught between your teeth. 

Well actually it's a problem on how to SOLVE a problem  about that stick of celery caught between your teeth .

It cannot be denied that one of the main issues that need to be addressed by the government should be that of the environment and its degradation. Not only is addressing these issues necessary, but the measures that need to be taken in order to achieve a sustainable environment should be done to cater to short-term and long-term effects on the key players of this debacle: the Environment (this includes those that breathe and those that don’t) and Mankind. Which is exactly why I personally think that vegetarianism is NOT the most necessary, most beneficial and most practicable solution to this problem. 

You see, eco-activists are now trying to bash the non-vegan population into destruction. They say that the BEST way to save the world is to go veggie. And go veggie 100%.

oh yes. Yes, indeed.

Okay, conceding to that fact that yes, Vegetarianism may have a one-two hit on the meat production industry (which is also now one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases), but it just doesn’t solve the problem. It only sweeps it under the rug. 

See, the problem here is NOT that a lot of us patronize meat products---as that is natural for us, omnivores---but rather, the problem is that we patronize meat producers that utilize methods that are contributing to the destruction of the environment. We need to fix THAT and NOT the dietary preferences of the population. In other words, the more viable universal solution is not VEGETARIANISM, but rather RESPONSIBLE CONSUMERISM.

Why should we then tackle the mentality of the consumers and not the producers directly? Simple. Because even if we successfully topple down these companies, the patronage of the consumers towards their products will not die. They will still clamor for similarly-manufactured products. We don’t destroy the mentality, rather we worsen it as it will make these consumers realize that they WANT the product and they will fight tooth and nail to get it back. 

And we all know that for most companies, “the customer is always right.”

And they are darn serious about it.

Which is why, what the government should focus on is to change the product preference of these consumers to more environmentally-responsible companies, as this avoids drastic (and often disadvantageous) paradigm shifts for the people AND at the same time, indirectly making them more responsible and contributive to the improvement of the environment. 

Furthermore, if the government successfully channels the priority of its citizens towards the more eco-friendliness of the products they are buying, whether it may be through information drives, massive forums and extensive promotion, this then gives an implicative incentive for the non-eco-friendly companies to become more responsible with their processes. For when they see that the market becomes more inclined to buying beef that’s not produced by mass breeding (which causes massive methane production); they then see that the most practical thing to do on their part is to be more eco-friendly. The “villains” then try to level the market field by treating the earth better. In short, since for these companies, the customer is always right, the government should make the customer buy right because from that, the companies then do right.

On another note, VEGETARIANISM is frankly NOT the most practicable thing to do. Extending from the previous point wherein channeling the dietary preferences of the people to a more eco-responsible aspect is easier than having them change their diet totally, we focus then on the fact that vegetarianism is something that cannot be done overnight. 

Especially when the average human eats like a baby whale

Humans, by nature, are omnivores. Meaning we are built to take in both meat and greens. Vegetarians however, choose to eat only vegetables. And coming from a nature that dictates you to have some sort of meat in your diet, it would take a large amount of dedication and perseverance to have your diet isolated to vegetables. That’s why going vegan is NOT for everyone. We cannot demand the same amount of effort from everyone because the decision to eat ONLY greens is an organic choice. It has to come from the heart of the individual. Yes, vegans and their dedication to their advocacy deserve a resounding applause, but that doesn't mean we can take away someone’s right to choose what he wants to eat and what he DOESN’T want to eat.

We do not want to force our people to give up their love for meat. Let them eat meat all they want. From my previous argument, It has been established that it is INDEED possible to let them continue eating their beef steaks and save the earth at the same time.

Finally, the whole idea of having the whole of mankind eat only vegetables does more harm than good. Nature has remained sustainable because of a balance created by the food chain. First-order consumers eat the producers, second-order consumers eat the first-order consumers, and so on. All organisms have something to contribute in this chain, and an imbalance in this causes the endangerment of the massively consumed entity. Which then leads us to the idea that if we have everyone completely exclude the consumption of meat in their diet, we endanger the crops that get over-consumed and also face the problem of having these livestock, which are no longer eaten, become additional consumers to these already endangered crops. We soon are left with no crops at all. And the balance would then disappear. 

Also, be reminded that these crops are contributors to the consumption of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. If we lose them to over-consumption, we lose our carbon sinks. We then have bigger problems at hand: we force ourselves to eat the meat again, which is what the government is trying to avoid with their proposition, and we become slowly suffocated by the increase of CO2 in our air. From that analogy, it can clearly be seen that the idea of having Veganism (as the main solution to global warming and the like) as counter-intuitive, impractical and non-doable at the very least.

So with that, Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that I have proven enough to you that in order for us to really solve this problem we have with Mother Earth, we need to solve it at the very source of it all: Mankind’s abuse. We abuse the environment by processing these products in methods that are negligent of its consequences so we need to fix THAT---and not our diet.

We were built to eat vegetable AND meat. So let’s embrace that. Improve our consumer mindset and NOT our food choices. So at the end of the day, we say YES to the vegans, YES to the Omnivorous and YES to the meat-eaters. Why fight when we can all harmoniously live together?

Bazinga.