The saying: “first come, first served,” is very elementary.
But what is interesting about it is that it speaks about the very tenet of what is supposed to be the normative expression of justice in an avenue where consensus is supposed to be built, it is very similar to a situation when you fall in line to avail of something. Where of course it is only fair for those who are at the front of the line to be accommodated first since they did made an effort to be on time or at least to qualify them as deserving of the commodified service because they came first from the others.
Now it would be a different story if someone is to cut corners.
If the interest of justice is supposed to be fairness. Then those who choose to cut corners should be reprimanded, while those who are in the line that have been deprived of what they ought to be getting at the right time since they’re on queue should at the very least be rendered an apology.
I am not trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
But a plain and simple pursuance of what the organizers of the gig upholds: Justice.
Corruption is contempt of justice. Cutting corners in a line-up is about creating shortcuts that deprive what is due and what is just for those in the schedule, hence a contempt of justice.
What is tragic is that a gig that seeks to uphold justice by raising awareness about the direness of the need to take a stand against corruption has rendered itself unable to uphold what is fair.
Some bands chose to cut corners. We came at the appointed time. We communicated since last week to the person responsible for the line-up. We constantly talked to the person on site who was suddenly taking care of the line up on paper. The paper said we were supposed to be on-stage after Walk Me Home. But to our surprise another band came and then another so I asked that person in-charge why I asked for a meeting and in the meeting I asked that person to put on paper the line-up, I thought we were supposed to keep what’s on paper as a set in stone rule.
But lo and behold once it’s our time to get up the stage another band by the name of Radiustar is already up there claiming that it’s their time. I asked the person in charge to come up to the stage to sort it out I asked for the paper. What’s on paper is that we’re supposed to be the ones to play. Honestly, I don’t care who cut corners be it Diktador, Monochrome or Radiustar
But what’s the response we got?
The person holding the line up on paper said: “pwede ba sila nalang muna next nalang kayo…”
The paper says it’s supposed to be DeathToPuberty, but the band setting up on stage says otherwise. The person holding the line-up says otherwise.
What is that all about?
It’s disappointing that they didn’t even bother to reprimand those who chose to cut corners.
It’s ironic that justice at such a low-level can’t even be pursued, especially from an organization that seeks to battle one of the greatest injustices in the Philippines: corruption.
If that’s not unfair.
Then I don’t know what it is….
- Chuck
* Repost with permission from Chuck Baclagon of Death To Puberty
