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Reflection: Mirror Reversed
Aug. 6th, 2003 11:26 am[note: blogger is having one of those annoying snits, i'm gonna post this here]
There are times when a nation undergoes a horrific, scarring experience that immediately after that they are defined by that one event in history. For the Jewish people it was the Holocaust, for the Filipino people, to a smaller extent, the Martial Law Period.
Looking back on Philippine History, it's almost ludicrous since the Filipinos suffered more under a three hundred rule, but then, the 20 years of Martial Law is so fresh and new and the Colonial rule under Spain is a distant memory remembered only by men and women over 100 years of age.
It is too easy to lay blame on Marcos for our current difficulties, we have done our own damage to the economy but undoubtedly he built the foundation of our difficulties. Marcos began his presidential run beloved by all since his first term bore fruits of his labor, then his second term began.
Let me be clear on one thing, I believe to an extent that he began as a good man with good intentions, but he ended his run of power as a power hungry man who plundered our nation. I also believe Martial Law or Monarchy could work, if and only if the ruler/leader was strong enough not to be tempted by Power and was able to sacrifice his/her personal ambition for the good of all. It can happen but only under these specific conditions.
Ninoy Aquino was a good man, this much is true. No man who can walk to their deaths, with their eyes open can be called otherwise, regardless if he was already dying. It takes great measure and strength, as *Coraline once said, "When you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave."
And no truer words, it is easier to say one is ready to die for their counrty, harder to do when faced with the decision of stepping on the plane, where inevitably it would land to an execution.
Ninoy was the first man to be sent in the caboose, when Martial Law was first declared, under the false charges of sedition, he spent 7 years in prison with other political prisoners. It was a horrifying experience, stripped naked and forced to depend wholly on his captors.
He stood-up for his beliefs and over underwhelming pressure refuse to have a defense attorney because he considers the court of law a sham, a kangaroo court he called it.
Ninoy was a remarkable man, a perfect arch-nemesis to Marcos. Both started as promising young men, able to do what few men could do in the tender age of 17. Marcos defended himself against a trial, Ninoy was the youngest correspondent to cover the Korean War, at 19 he became the Mayor of Concepcion but was unseated because he was too young.
It is said you know a man by his enemies, and that an enemy is often the flip side of the coin, a mirror reversed. They honor each other in that regard. They were on seperate paths that could only end in one result: Death.
Death can be a defeat, but in that last hour of his life, he was not defeated. He became a symbol of hope and defiance, the Filipinos marched away from their homes, stood on the streets finally finding the courage from a man who believed in them, who believed that they were, after all worth dying for.
In that way Marcos was defeated, not by his charms or intellect can he be saved. He died a defeated man, Ninoy died a hero.
**Coraline by Neil Gaiman
There are times when a nation undergoes a horrific, scarring experience that immediately after that they are defined by that one event in history. For the Jewish people it was the Holocaust, for the Filipino people, to a smaller extent, the Martial Law Period.
Looking back on Philippine History, it's almost ludicrous since the Filipinos suffered more under a three hundred rule, but then, the 20 years of Martial Law is so fresh and new and the Colonial rule under Spain is a distant memory remembered only by men and women over 100 years of age.
It is too easy to lay blame on Marcos for our current difficulties, we have done our own damage to the economy but undoubtedly he built the foundation of our difficulties. Marcos began his presidential run beloved by all since his first term bore fruits of his labor, then his second term began.
Let me be clear on one thing, I believe to an extent that he began as a good man with good intentions, but he ended his run of power as a power hungry man who plundered our nation. I also believe Martial Law or Monarchy could work, if and only if the ruler/leader was strong enough not to be tempted by Power and was able to sacrifice his/her personal ambition for the good of all. It can happen but only under these specific conditions.
Ninoy Aquino was a good man, this much is true. No man who can walk to their deaths, with their eyes open can be called otherwise, regardless if he was already dying. It takes great measure and strength, as *Coraline once said, "When you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave."
And no truer words, it is easier to say one is ready to die for their counrty, harder to do when faced with the decision of stepping on the plane, where inevitably it would land to an execution.
Ninoy was the first man to be sent in the caboose, when Martial Law was first declared, under the false charges of sedition, he spent 7 years in prison with other political prisoners. It was a horrifying experience, stripped naked and forced to depend wholly on his captors.
He stood-up for his beliefs and over underwhelming pressure refuse to have a defense attorney because he considers the court of law a sham, a kangaroo court he called it.
Ninoy was a remarkable man, a perfect arch-nemesis to Marcos. Both started as promising young men, able to do what few men could do in the tender age of 17. Marcos defended himself against a trial, Ninoy was the youngest correspondent to cover the Korean War, at 19 he became the Mayor of Concepcion but was unseated because he was too young.
It is said you know a man by his enemies, and that an enemy is often the flip side of the coin, a mirror reversed. They honor each other in that regard. They were on seperate paths that could only end in one result: Death.
Death can be a defeat, but in that last hour of his life, he was not defeated. He became a symbol of hope and defiance, the Filipinos marched away from their homes, stood on the streets finally finding the courage from a man who believed in them, who believed that they were, after all worth dying for.
In that way Marcos was defeated, not by his charms or intellect can he be saved. He died a defeated man, Ninoy died a hero.
**Coraline by Neil Gaiman
