poke poke poke___Thursday, April 03, 2008
In the background, an aggressive female tiger struts around the confines of her cage. She is visibly frustrated, after being kept in the enclosure for several years. Outside the cage stands a young boy, who spent the entire afternoon watching her movements. He teased her with funny expressions, and even laughed at her sorry plight. He even threatened her on a few occasions, picking up a fallen branch and forcefully poking it into her empty stomach. Her frustration grows and she bears her teeth in a show of malice. He didn't heed the signs and attempted to thrust the stick at her again. Only this time, she gracefully escaped the attack, and swiftly bit off his hands. Excruciating pain shot through his arms, and he screamed in anguish.
The above paragraph is just an example of deliberate provocation, and the resultant consequences. You may get the impression that the young boy is rather dense or not mature enough to understand the implications of his actions, but we as adults are no different either.
One just need to read the news to understand what I mean. Just recently, North Korea fired off its 'toys' into the Yellow Sea, showcasing her military might. This act of aggression triggered off a sharp exchange of words, which contributed to an increasingly unstable Korean Peninsula. And then we have Fitna, produced by Geert Wilders. With the controversial film linking violence with Islam, it infuriated numerous Islamic groups, which sparked worldwide protests. On the sports front, we have Mascherano scolding expletives and making continuous efforts to irritate the referee. These are just some fine examples of our lack of tactfulness when handling human relationships.
I wonder how worse things might get. Maybe next time, we might see gays making love outside church or something that goes along those lines of stupidity.
