[Opinion] Weeds

Yun Gu-byung, a philosophy professor-turned farmer, says emphatically that there is no weed. `Weed` carries a dictionary meaning of `an unwanted plant, esp. one which prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly.` Yun points out, however, that the definition is human-centered since being a weed depends on whether the plant is useful to humans or not. Hang Dae-gwon, an ecologist who wrote `The Wildflower Letter,` suggests that people turn weeds into wildflowers. Although some 350,000 kinds of plants exist in this planet, humans only grow about 3,000 and tend to ignore the rest as weeds, he says.

Weeds are believed to be pesky and even harmful to humans. But we can soon find out that it is an error of conception once we learn about their usefulness. Every weed contributes to enriching the soil by lifting up minerals to a higher level of the surface using their log roots. Being reproductive, weeds turn the bare ground into greens, preventing flooding and protecting the environment. There might be weedy grass containing medicinal substances that can be used to treat incurable diseases. The fact is that every plant in this world bears its own significance, how small and seemingly useless they are.

President Roh`s `weed theory` is sending shockwaves. He compared politicians feeding on regionalism and looking for their own interests to weeds to be rooted out. If weeds understood human languages, they should find the remarks very insulting, saying humans now compare them to low-level politicians on top of treating them bad. Of course, what President Roh means by weeds must be different from the weeds in ecological terms. The president version must indicate low-level politicians leading to public disillusionment. Still, lawmakers in both the ruling and opposition party are criticizing the remarks, which they see carry an underlying political meaning.

Just as weeds are seen either pesky plants or lovely wildflowers depending on the eyes of the beholders, it is the way the president sees the politics that decides his ruling style. Such remarks are only seen as `taking sides`, as Roh continues to bring in former student activist-turned politicians and draw the line between what he sees a reform and a non-reform camp. We are now living in an age of diversity and uncertainty. So it will not be easy and simple to draw the line between weeds and plants or for that matter between reformers and non-reformers. Speaking of weeds, organic farming that leaves weeds untouched is now catching on. For this nation to be strong and prosperous, therefore, Roh must consider `co-existing with weeds.` This is as long as the weeds are not harmful to the nation.