The Mandrake [Published Private Life]

Firstly, allow me to send my deepest grieve to those who suffer from the earthquake in Yogya. This artcile does not tend to give propaganda in that unfortunate event. I just see a horrific coincidence in that event. I’ll leave the judgement to you.

Okay, here we go.
I follow this mailing list for bloggers. There was this posting on invitation to fight the anti-pornographic law on 26 May 2006. Here’s a copy of the email in its original language:

—– Original Message —–
From: MADIA
To: MADIA INFO
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: [madia-info] Pawai Budaya Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

Subject: [mediacare] Pawai Budaya Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

*Sebarkan Undangan ini kepada seluruh relasi Anda:

Teman-teman yang baik,

Kebhinnekaan masyarakat Indonesia yang terdiri dari berbagai suku, etnis, agama, dan cara hidup berbangsa yang merupakan kekayaan kita terancam musnah jika Rancangan Undang-undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi (RUU APP) disahkan. Keberadaan RUU APP akan memusnahkan kekayaan tersebut demi sebuah kepentingan penyeragaman yang tidak berakar pada budaya nusantara. RUU APP juga akan menghancurkan sendi-sendi dasar Bangsa, Pancasila, dan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, sehingga membahayakan eksistensi bangsa dan Negara Indonesia. RUU APP juga tidak memberikan perlindungan kepada kaum perempuan tetapi justru menyudutkan perempuan dengan menempatkannya sebagai penyebab utama bejatnya moral bangsa.
Oleh sebab itu, sebagai anak bangsa yang mencintai Indonesia kita wajib menolak RUU APP demi menjaga keutuhan dan keanekaragaman budaya Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia.
Forum Yogya untuk Keberagaman (YUK!) dan Aliansi Bhinneka Tunggal Ika mengajak seluruh elemen masyarakat Indonesia untuk menentang RUU APP melalui "PAWAI BUDAYA BHINNEKA TUNGGAL IKA" yang akan kita laksanakan pada;
Hari/Tanggal : Kamis, 1 Juni 2006
Waktu : Pukul 14.00 WIB (tepat!)
Rute : Universitas Gadjah Mada - TUGU- Monumen

Serangan Oemoem - Alun-alun Utara Keraton Yogyakarta
Dalam pawai budaya yang akan diisi dengan "PIDATO KEBUDAYAAN GUSTI KANJENG RATU HEMAS KERATON YOGYAKARTA" di Alun-alun Utara Keraton Yogyakarta ini akan menampilkan berbagai kesenian tradisional dan kontemporer dari berbagai penjuru nusantara. Dari komunitas hobby penyepeda sampai motor besar, dari kelompok marching band dan cheerleader sampai prajurit Keraton Yogyakarta, dari komunitas Hip-hop sampai kelompok seni Jathilan, dan lain-lain. Di samping itu, pawai ini merupakan pawai yang meriah dan tontonan yang menarik untuk masyarakat dengan iring-iringan puluhan andong, becak, sepur kelinci, dan lain-lain.

Ajaklah kawan-kawan dan seluruh anggota komunitas Anda dalam pawai budaya ini dengan mengenakan pakaian daerah, kostum kesenian, dan/atau aksesoris bernuansa unik.

Konfirmasikan keikutsertaan Anda ke YUK! (0274) 376.114 atau 0813-9202-3195 atau forum_yuk@yahoo.com Salam, Forum YUK! dan Aliansi Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

forum Yogya untuk Keberagaman (YUK!)
Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
Jl. Sriwedani 1 Yogyakarta
e-mail: forum_yuk@yahoo.com

And here’s the English translation.

—– Original Message —–
From: MADIA
To: MADIA INFO
Sent: Friday, May 26, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: [madia-info] Carnival of United Various Culture

Subject: [mediacare] Carnival of United Various Culture

*Please spread this invitation to all your relatives:

Dear Friends,

Diversity of Indonesian society consists of many ethnics, races, religions, and way of life that adds to the richness of our culture. They are threatened to extinction if the Anti Pornographic and Pornaction (RUU APP) is to be enforced. The existance of RUU APP will destroy that culture richness just for the sake of uniforming that does not base on the country’s culture. RUU APP will also destroy fundamentals of the nation, Pancasila (the country’s five base), and diverse culture. Therefore, it endangers existance of the nation and the country of Indonesia. RUU APP also does not give protection to female, instead it positions them as the main cause of the immorality of the nation.
Therefore, as the citizen of the nation who loves this country, we are obligated to defy RUU APP to maintain the integrity and the diversity of the culture of this country.

The Yogya’s Forum for Diversity (YUK!) and alliance of culture diversity invite all society elements of Indonesia to defy RUU APP through the carnival of united various culture which is to be held on;
Date : Thursday, 1 June 2006
Time : 14.00 WIB (sharp!)
Route : Universitas Gadjah Mada - TUGU- Monumen

Serangan Oemoem - Alun-alun Utara Keraton Yogyakarta
The culture carnival will be filled with "SPEECH ON CULTURE BY H.E. RATUE HEMAS YOGYAKARTA PALACE" in the hall north of the Yogyakarta palace. They will peform various traditional and contemporary arts from many parts of the country. From community of bikers to big bikers, from marching band group and cheerleader to soldiers of the Yogyakarta Palaca, from community Hiphop to community Jathilan art, etc. Besides that, the carnival will be a merry one and interesting for communities with lots of andong, becak, sepur kelinci, etc.

Please bring along your friends and all members of your community in this carnival culture using traditional customes, arts customes, and or other uniqe accessories.

Confirm your participation to YUK! (0274) 376.114 or 0813-9202-3195 or forum_yuk@yahoo.com
Regards, Forum YUK! dan Aliansi Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

forum Yogya untuk Keberagaman (YUK!)
Taman Budaya Yogyakarta
Jl. Sriwedani 1 Yogyakarta
e-mail: forum_yuk@yahoo.com

I only replied one line. Essentially, I asked whether the person who forwarded the message has looked through the disputed RUU APP. Because, in my opinion, having read the porn laws, it is stated that the RUU APP ackonwledges the diversity of the culture. Hence, it won’t ban people from wearing their traditional customes. But, no, these people are being hard-headed.

By the way, that was on 26 May 2006. Then, on 27 May 2006. Very early in the morning, there was earthquake. It was shaking Yogyakarta hard enough that, until this article is being written, the death toll has reached to 5000. Some would say, that it was only natural disaster. It has got nothing to do with people’s attitude. I am completely dumbfounded if anyone would speak of this. Again, I must emphesise that I am truly sorry for the lost of the people. But, this event must be taken as our eye-opener. We must now introspect ourselves. What if, the moment you are reading this article, the earth split. And you die. And you are still arguing that it’s only natural disaster. You blame God. By that time, you only have to argue with the Supreme one. See if you can win the argument with Him.

I guess they won’t go with the carnival after all. I just see this event too coincidental for me. I just wish God would accept the soul of the lost ones.

Okay, time for a quiz. You are a citizen of a country whose former president is very old, say, 70-80 years old. He is now in very sick condition. In the past, the former president was corrupted. However, things were very good back then. You can buy everything at reasonable price.

Things are completely different now. Though, corruption is still going on, but the power to buy things are decreasing. Back then, when he still ruled you could buy gas for only Rp.700 per litre. Now, it has gone 7 folds! All in only 8 years.

Now, question: if you are the citizen of the country, would you agree that this former president must be put on trial for the past mistake?
I wouldn’t agree to that.

The current government and the previous one tend to blame the corruption this former president had done in the past. How could they blame him? They have been given 8 years to put what’s wrong into the right order? And what have they done? Corruption is even worse than when the former president still ruled.

The college students are on a strike right now. They are protesting the release of the former president from the trial. What do they now? They are still in junior high school when the former president still ruled. All they know is that this former president had done wrong things in the past. And that he must be put on trial.

Little do they know that there are more worse curropter hanging arround out there. And they have done nothing to chase those rats.

So, my answer is yes. We must release the former president from the trial. We must appreciate for what he had done in the past. He was the one who found the regional organisation in the South East Asian region. He was the one who succeeded to make the market stable. He was the one who made this country respected (unlike now, mind you).

I missed the time when this country was still respected. I guess it takes a lot of power to give someone, huh.

This is rather sensitive case, I know. But looking at the situation in the country, I’d say things are not going so good. There is this law on porns which rule the way women how to dress and other thing which are related to porns. At one side, the women are protesting this draft regulation. They say that it is ridiculuous for the government to rule how a woman should dress. On the other side, there are people who agree to such regulations. They say porn is like a sale at the mall here. You can find FHM, Playboy, etc. almost like you want to find public toilet: it’s there and everybody knows where it is, yet no one else needs to know what happens inside.

What disappointed me was these women have been propagated by the media. The media says that the porn regulations would rule the traditional customs, which, almost all of them show parts of women’s body. This is not true, actually. The regulation acknowledges the variety of the nation’s culture. It won’t ever ban such custom. It would be ridiculuous. Just as ridiculous as these women who are protesting such regulation.

They say they have the right to their own body. Of course. Well, we have the right to look at whatever we would like to see, right? So, women should not protest if they are wearing mini skirt and tank top and many craving-for-more eyes undress (so to say) them. At one side, we have to behave, while on the other side they are wearing something that could arouse men. It’s not fair, really.

How to draw what is porn and what is not? Is that a trick question? Man who says that he is not aroused by looking at a pair of woman’s naked leg is prone to be, either lying or not paying attention; or, gay. Man who says that he is not interested in the cleavage of a woman shown behind her gown is prone to be, either lying or not paying attention; or gay.

Normal man likes b**bs. Normal man likes woman’s pair of naked legs. Normal man likes woman’s body. It comes naturally. There’s no arguing about it. But, why would the women say they have the right to their own body, and wear mini skirt and tank top? Some men would restrain themself from looking and enjoying women’s body because the religion says so. Some would go too far and forget about what the religion says and… well.. disaster.

Let me give you a fictious story. I got this from a friend.

There was this drop dead beautiful girl, wearing mini skirt and tank top. She walked into a drugstore. While she was at the counter, a man was watching her, from head to toe. He looked at her as if she were a piece of meat. He walked closer to the girl and asked, “How much is it for an hour?” The girl was shocked and angry to this question. “Who do you think I am? I am not a s**t! How dare you!” The girl scolded. “I am sorry, but you look like one.” The man defended. “How I dress is up to me. You shouldn’t look at all at me in the first place. It’s my right!” The girl scolded again. “Yeah, well, it’s my right too to look at whatever I want. And it’s my right too to think whoever person as whatever.” The story hangs there.

Women scream outloud about the human rights. But, do they know anything about it? Do they know that one’s right is not limitless. It is limited by other’s right. The others’ right are to be free from terror. And I’d say porn is terror. It can come to your home, under your bed, or in your cubicle.

Women’s right? I agree with that. I should also propose death penalty to rapist. There should be zero tolerant over men who conduct such crime. On the other hand, women must also help themselves and wear something proper. Remember, man will always like woman. It is by nature.