Why The Sheathed Sword?

          I’ve always refused to believe in this age-old writers’ motto, that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” 
          For one, particularly in my home country, the Philippines, it continues to feed the arrogance of some of those gifted with the talent of putting pen to paper, who then harness the power of the media to lead their target audience to that shallow pool of subversive opinions, murky enough to fail to reflect the true sentiments and desires of the people. 
          For another, this saying uses two distinct, verbatim metaphors—pen and sword—that seek to promote dissent and to remain fixated in the two-decades long era of political turmoil, strife, and civil unrest, beginning in the First Quarter Storm of 1970 to the military coups of the late 1980s.
           These metaphors tend to summon past hatred between two institutions: the media and the military; and that whatever common understanding and learning experiences they have gained from each other, it is negated by this enduring yet subtle journalists’ creed.
           It further implants in the mind the conflicting nature of such words freedom and regulation, and with a little prodding from some twisted ideology as communism, secessionism, or jihad, one would be blinded enough not to give our democracy a chance on how these words are actually in harmony with each other.

           It would culminate in an inclination to boundless liberty that is tantamount to anarchy, and then lets you forget that along with our inalienable, constitutional rights, should come great responsibility to maintain and secure democracy for the succeeding generations, no matter what the cost. 

          Lest I be misconstrued, I do recognize that it is not right to merely write it off to history and fail to see how we, as a nation, have drawn strength from the fact that the pen had unified us and forced the hands of a dictator to release us from the shackles of abuse; or how the people remain engaged to this day and feel connected to our democracy and in their own little ways, contribute to our country’s growth to allow them to dream beyond the confines of life in the countrysides.

It is however from this same concept of the mighty pen that I launched this blog, and seek to confront and counter the forces lurking in the shadows that utilize democracy in order to destroy democracy. With my laptop, and sometimes with my pen, I’d enjoin you to pursue awareness of the issues affecting the free world and touch on topics that we all have a stake in, say, China’s incursions into the West Philippine Sea, and offer insights to stimulate discussion on these subject matters.

Ultimately it is my desire to make a difference for the free world to remain free, and like those writers and journalists before me, whatever their motivations were, I write to inform, put things in the right perspective, and enlighten the Filipino people and the rest of the world of what our priorities should be.

However still, this doesn’t suffice to mean that the pen indeed is mighty or strong enough to break the sword, much less when taken literally which would actually be ridiculous.

But as a former Army officer who was right at the forefront of accomplishment of our national objectives, I offer an alternative metaphor that is more unifying and prudent than the so-called mighty pen: the sheathed sword.

While revered by the world’s armies to be the symbolic instrument of combat, the sword’s deepest motives and intentions lie on when it is tucked away into its scabbard. The one who possesses it, usually the top commander or the King of an army sends a clear message of firm conviction, yet a willingness to bend in the interest of diplomacy while his weapon is sheathed. It further reflects the discipline of the leader who knows fully well that peace is better accomplished through words than deal later with the costly consequences of war.

In contrast, the pen may be more fitting as to characterize the final disposition of words when they go together as sentences to make up the information we require, but no words will ever unify a nation if leaders were never interested to talk in the first place.

The sword may have long been regarded as a killing tool in the literal sense, but figuratively when it is sheathed it may also be construed as a means to deter aggression and oppression; and without saying a word, world affairs are taken back to the roundtable with a more thoughtful approach.

The sword encased into its scabbard then becomes more than just words. It represents dialogues, forums, and careful and thoughtful planning for the future of a country or the world. And in the hands of a good and wise leader, a sheathed sword means a history that is well written which tells of peace, sincerity, diplomacy and cooperation.

It is in this sense that I believe the sheathed sword means more to mankind than the overly abused mighty pen whose words oftentimes become a source of bias and prejudice rather than balance the scales of justice. It is in this sense too, that I deliver my thoughts on this blog, and leave the pen as mighty as it can only be: the mere writing tool it’s always been.