Split Sides

Manifesto # 3

Before I begin, allow me to say that this is a special statement. If any of you know me, you know I dislike intervening in matters like these, and in other cases I would prefer having someone better suited to handle this. However, the exceptional nature of this case requires my intervention; and the subjects as well as the persons involved compel me to make my side heard and to ensure the clarity of my position. Today, I shall do just that.

As we all have known, there are certain people and groups around us who have made clear their intention to debase us and spread chaos and division through malice, chicanery, intrigue, sleaze, and other forms of underhanded tactics. They use these, not to help us learn and improve from our mistakes, but to pull us down for their own egocentric gains. Case in point: last week, an unknown person has flagrantly attacked Hayley by mocking her debilitating condition and belittling her personality and her ties with me. She and her friends have done well in defending her openly and truthfully, but the person has gone a step further by attacking me and my alliance with her. This malicious aggression is unacceptable and this is my response.

First, it is true that Hayley has a fear of doctors and needles. This fear is reasonable and even relatable, as we all have experiences and sordid details for which we have difficulty facing and accepting. For my part I have always been terrified of dogs and needles, which was compounded by an attack back in my childhood and the subsequent anti-rabies shot. My fear of needles lasted till February 2006, when I was hospitalised for a heart ailment for a month. After being discharged I had to undergo preventive maintenance, and this meant getting to the hospital before 3 in the afternoon, in a Sunday every month, to be injected with antibiotics on my hips for nine years. It was a horrible time, but it helped me desensitise my fear of needles. It remains there, but the fear is not as strong as it was before. I hope that in the future Hayley would undergo counselling and support to face her fears and accept her harrowing episodes, but the decision to do so will be hers and hers alone, and I condemn anyone who scorns at her for this.

Second, the person has gone through the trouble of branding us 'emos' and publicising it to attract more ridicule and derision. I shall make my case for it by stating that 'emo' is the shortened form for 'emotion'. Specifically, it describes the genre of rock music that peaked in the mid-2000s and was characterised by deep, angst-ridden lyrics; powerful melodies; and the dejected, browbeaten listeners that comprise its main audience. As a child I have been a fan of this sort of music from rock bands like My Chemical Romance, Third Eye Blind, the Goo Goo Dolls, The Killers, etc. I was too young to learn of things like longing and seclusion, but I knew what it felt like and they put into music what I could not put into words. And if there is a need to discuss the band that started the genre, The Cure back in the 1980s, then yes: I do like them. I loved such songs like Lovesong, Just Like Heaven, A Forest, and Jumping Someone Else's Train. I love how Robert Smith and his band would push themselves to unimaginable depths to discover that moody energy that defined their sound and swept them to stardom. So if the intention is to label me as 'emo', then it has worked. I am indeed an 'emo' and I have no problem belonging to it.

Third, this person has sought to undermine the alliance between Hayley and me. The person had no qualms about questioning us and attempting to subvert the long and storied history between us. I have this to say to thee: my commitment to her is ironclad and any attack on her will be seen as an attack on me. The special relationship we have lies in our shared interests and values, and it is the cornerstone of our security, stability, and mutual respect. The bonds between us are sturdier than our fears, and our unity and cooperation is real and plain to see. To sum it up: our éntente cordiale is not in doubt, and we will do all we can to help each other in times of crisis and need.

I am no isolationist. I do not believe that I have all I need, and there is always room for continuous improvement. I am open to discussion about these and more, and I am always ready to open diplomatic relations between us to achieve our desired result. But I will not stand by when faced with such faceless aggression, and anyone who dares to attack allies such as Hayley must be prepared for retaliation. We can all coexist and live in harmony, but you cannot shake hands while your fists are clenched.

I shall end my statement with two short sentences. One, denial is not a river in Egypt. And two, vanity kills.