I write in response to the article, “Karaoke parlors, pubs banned to give way to nature tourism” published in The Jakarta Post. A danger foreseen is half avoided. Credit for this goes to Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas, who made it possible with his sharp vision and pragmatic reasoning.
Nature has always provided and fed us with love. On the other hand karaoke parlors, discotheques and pubs are generally held responsible for misguiding and distracting young people.
The pubs will not only destroy the serene environment of beautiful forests and mountains, they will have a negative impact on the social and emotional lives of people residing in Bayuwangi.
It takes more than one cold day for a river to freeze three feet deep. Similarly, the impact of discotheques and pubs will not be immediately seen, but will be visible only after the degradation of values of society starts.
The cow (nature) drinks water and it turns to milk; the snake (pubs, discotheques, etc) drinks water and it turns into poison. This beautiful implication shows the supremacy of nature.
There is no room for doubt when Abdullah says that these entertainment places will lead to rise in human trafficking and other crimes. We can survive without pubs and karaoke parlors but we can in no way survive without blessings of nature. In every beginning if all the leaders think like Abdullah, then the endings will always be happy.
