Pinoy Pride and Idiocy

After the American War in the Philippines, 1/6 of our population died. Along with them our culture and our balls. Some of those who died were idealists who still believed in liberty, some were just victims standing in harm's way or chased by it. But there were people who fought hard to reclaim or even remember who we are as a nation. Who were we before we became the Spaniard’s Filipino? I guess the people who asked this question all died in that war.

Before this war we were little brown cockroaches the Spanish stepped on, then we incarnated to become the "little brown brothers" who worship the fountain of milk chocolate, scrubbing our skins thin to be as white as theirs, blurting out idioms not even knowing what they mean. And we got stuck. So comfortably stuck that we do not even know we are.

"We believe that if indolence exists, it exists only as the offspring of ignorance and not as an essential quality that they attribute to the country and to her climate…” -Dr. Jose Rizal

in·do·lent [in-dl-uhnt] having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful: an indolent person.

Dr. Jose Rizal addressed the indolence that is prevalent in our nation. We refuse to stand up from our butts, we refuse to take action when people step on us, we refuse learning and progress, we refuse real freedom. Why? Ignorance. Ignorance from what? Ignorant that we are far from free, that we are a nation of noble people. We walk around, sipping our frappuccinos, patting each other's backs and being a cool "PINOY AND PROUD" advocate (Not much to be proud of really in the past 100 years). But as Rizal puts it, we are not just innately indolent. So there is hope.

“Teach us, educate us, and enlighten us, and indifference, apathy, and indolence will disappear. The blind man who has seen light cannot help but love it." -Dr. Jose Rizal

So let's just accept it. Acceptance is the first step. Accepting that we are not free, and that is of our liking. Accepting that we are ignorant, and have been for around 500 years. Accepting the responsibility that no one else could free us but us.

No flag waving would set us free. No international proclamation will. No other people will. It’s only us. We have to set our minds free. We have to fight our ignorance. After each of the 95 million Filipinos are enlightened, then we can say we are free.

Someday, our nation might experience having the mud taken off our eyes. If not, there's always the resurrection. The 1/6 of the population that died in the war could teach us how it really is to be Filipino.

Till then, ok, let’s wave the flag in Bulacan or Cavite every year hoping that it will wake somebody up.