I have seen and heard about the way some people misuse the small power they have, and this keeps me wondering about what they would have done if they were given much bigger power to handle. Just because they sit in a position above others, they use every chance to intimidate people around them because they know that nobody will challenge them. Honestly, if some of these people are given the opportunity to run an entire country, I wonder what would have happen.
I see power like a small key to a door which looks ordinary, but the person holding the key decides who will pass through the door and who won’t. The problem begins when the person with the key starts to think that holding the key makes him/her more important than everyone else. Instead of opening the door for those who need it, the person decides to lock it just to frustrate others who depend on him/her. That’s how I see abuse of power in real life.
We always point fingers at our politicians who misuse their authority. Personally, I think it goes beyond government because ordinary people around us also make life difficult for others once they have even a tiny opportunity. I know about some disturbing stories about abuse of power, and I’m going to talk about one or two experiences I have seen.
Some months ago, in my country, a young man was sent by someone to collect a parcel from a bus garage. After collecting it, he left the garage and was heading home, but on his way, police officers stopped him and decided to open the parcel. Unfortunately, an illicit object was found inside it. The young man tried to explain to them that he was not the owner and was not aware that something like that was there. He even told them that he would direct them to the owner of the parcel, but the officers did not give him any chance to explain himself or even take him to court. They decided to tie him up, and not only that, they ended him immediately.
Thankfully, people nearby recorded the incident, and the video spread across the internet. We later heard the news that the police officer involved had been imprisoned, although I cannot really confirm what finally happened. I don’t know if it’s true or if they just used it to cover up, to prevent people from talking.
Whenever I remember this incident, I keep wondering why the young man was not given a chance to explain what happened. Fine, if they suspected him, they would have detained him and made a proper investigation. I believe that no one has the power to take another person’s life just because he/she wears a uniform. They are supposed to use their power to protect people instead of harming them. If that police officer could behave like that with the small power he had, imagine what he would have done with bigger authority.
Another experience was my friend’s mother after her retirement. She needed to complete some requirements before she could start receiving her pension. But the person who was in charge of helping her demanded a huge amount of money before he could help her process it. She could not afford it then, so she had to wait until she could raise the money.
You can imagine a situation where someone worked for many years and also retired from work, but the person struggles to access the benefits they deserve because someone expects them to pay money before they can do their job. The person in charge makes the simple process a heavy burden for the retiree. That person takes advantage of the fact that the woman needs his help and may not have any other options. These experiences show that abuse of power does not always start with someone controlling a big place; sometimes, it starts with someone controlling a small organization. They do what they like because they believe that nobody can challenge them.
I believe we all have a responsibility to speak up when we see someone misusing their power. We can support victims by reporting the issue to the right channel because keeping silent can make the person responsible feel that their actions are acceptable. Personally, I believe power should be seen as a responsibility, not a weapon to oppress other people around us. Being in a position of authority should not give us the power to oppress the people below us; rather, it should be seen as a means to help people around us by playing fair.
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