A wise man once said: “if you want to reveal a person’s true character, give him power”.
To me this logic is undeniable for power melts all barriers and reveals the naked intentions of those who have it; however, power cannot be ultimate, it comes in degrees, so does deceit therefore different people can react differently based on the amount of power that is given to them.
On the other hand danger is real, and when it comes in the shape of a direct threat to one’s life it does not compromise nor does it come in installments, it is raw and absolute, and all veils fall before it, for no pretense can face its elemental nature.
Danger reveals our true nature, one that we are proud of or one that we spend a lifetime trying to hide.
Three types of people and traits appear when facing danger; these traits summarize the characters of people, organizations or political parties that we find in our societies, people that we feel close to or identified with, people that we pity or try to avoid.
The first type is the obvious, the “safety-seeker” who runs away from danger and prefer to hide behind who can offer to defend him/her and appreciates them. This kind of people is common and can be understood, he does not find enough courage to face danger yet he is grateful for those who risk their lives to defend him, he understands his weakness and supports those who have found the courage to defend him.
The second type is the less common yet most destructive, the “coward” who not only lacks the will and courage to face danger, but he deceitfully lurks in dark corners weaving conspiracies to harm those who are putting their lives on the line to defend him, for simple reasons: envy and egocentrism. This type enjoys the luxury of safety while others risk their life to defend his/her existence, yet he lacks the value of gratitude, and goes further to reap the benefits of his safety by plotting against his guardian. This is the lowest of them all, he sucks the blood of others to reach his aim, and he will sell his soul to have power, just to feel strong, even if his strength is borrowed and fake.
The third type is the rare yet inspiring and contagious, the “brave and daring”, the real protector of freedom and justice; it is the voice of rebellion against tyranny and oppression. It is the foundation of all that is good and beautiful. It is the child who defends his mates if wrongly attacked by others, it is the father who defends his children against abusers and ill-intentioned, it is the mother who fiercely defends her child against an abusing father, it is the neighbor who defends his neighborhood against thieves and bandits, it is he who says no to injustice when everyone else is saying yes.
To the “brave and daring” Lebanese forces all my respect, to those who are not tempted by power, those who are not corrupted by fame and fortune, to those who keep the darkness of ignorance at bay, my respect.
To all who gave their past so we would have the chance to decide our future, my respect, to those who gave and are still giving all what is dear to defend wat is dearer , my respect.
To all those I say, I am proud to belong to you, to all those I say, you reflect my love for integrity and courage, and you reveal all that is good on this earth.
And to the “cowards” who hide behind power I say, we will meet as we always do, and when you need protection we will protect you again, for your twisted nature will not affect ours, but if you choose to stand between us and justice then I pity you, for you will rediscover that history has only one direction and there can be only one outcome when the “coward” faces the “brave and daring” … and time will tell.