Be it resolved

That schools and universities purify physical education as sports courses rather than mix them with the arts. Or better yet, make them elective to free students to go where they are potentially good in. Sports and arts may share many things but are different from each other. That is why I find dance sport a pseudo-sport, with due respect. While it is now considered for inclusion in the Olympic program, it belongs somewhere else, with all its beauty and grace.

Just as golf, despite its recent reinstatement in the Olympic calendar, belongs to a place of its own, the evergreen courses built and maintained under environmental pain. Tennis too does not belong to the quadrennial games. The quadruple grand slam trophies glitter more than the gold medal. Except for Steffi Graf who won the singles gold to complete her golden slam in 1988, no one remembers who else won in the Olympics.

I don’t even remember if Rafael Nadal won even if he did in Beijing. Roger Federer sets his sights on the singles gold in Tokyo. Win or lose, he remains the greatest over all others, except over Nadal and Novak Djokovic with whom he is locked in eternal trivalry for tennis immortality. Only time settles, regardless of their Olympic mettle. Be patient, it will be resolved in five years or earlier when the super trio concedes to age. Federer is the oldest and Djokovic the youngest, no wonder at times he acts like one, and Roger the gentleman and Rafa the middleman.

That we treat our athletes like national treasures, way better than national traitors. There is even no point of comparison despite blurry lines we can no longer tell right from wrong. Hail the treasures, jail the traitors. I don’t refer to treasonous acts during war, but those that betray public trust.

That said, be it further resolved that the bar for appointment to public office be raised higher, especially in agencies where mental and emotional control and stability are indispensable to manage danger and anger, including animosity. Although revoltingly, there was nothing adverse nor intimidating about the mother and son, whose only defenses were each other’s arms, when shot point-blank by a cough, er cop, who went blank. On the head and face, parts of the body representative of sanity and dignity. But not to everybody, to some both embody madness and ignominy, to the murderous policeman, monstrosity.

Unfortunately, no screening process conclusively detects arrogance and murderous potential at the first instance. Applicants perfected the art of feigning appearances, like looking meek as lamb. Once accepted, they slowly shed their skin and show the monster within. Exactly how the cop coughed, er misbehaved, before he blew his top and the son and mother who didn’t care, er, er, er.

He had several cases before. Grave misconduct, neglect of duty, extortion, dodging random drug test, failure to appear in court as witness. And, two cases of homicide but dismissed for lack of evidence. Notoriously undesirable. In law on public officers, a ground for termination even without conviction. But he stayed on until the gruesome conclusion. Missing the red flag, even if not busy with red tag.