Thursday, December 29, 2005
A TRUE HERO
The following is an excerpt from Margarita Ventenilla Hamada’s article, Nation Mark’s Rizal’s Martyrdom, published by Manila Bulletin:
The core of Rizal’s nationalism is love for fellow-beings, not love for the Filipino proletariat alone. Rizal’s nationalism targets the immature, evil psyche as its enemy, not the immature, evil people (the imperialists and the elite) as its enemy.
Rizal’s nationalism is based on the whole of reality, not on fragments of reality. He saw wickedness in both master and slave, in both the rich and the poor, not just in the rich. Rizal’s nationalism is open to anything that could give his countrymen human rights; the basis for peace and progress; assimilation into a mature, foreign government included. It is not focused on just one independence or separation from any foreign government no matter how benevolent.
Rizal’s nationalism recommends a change from immature, defective thinking to mature, sensible thinking via enlightenment or revolution of the mind. He did not recommend a change of defective government systems or defective leaders via revolutions, rallies or strikes.
Rizal’s nationalism made him a man of courage who was not afraid to die for the cause of freedom, peace and progress, yet who will never kill nor inspire others to kill for mere political independence at the cost of freedom, peace and progress.
Read Nation Mark’s Rizal’s Martyrdom in its entirety.
About Margarita Ventenilla Hamada: Founder of Harvent Schools, Dagupan City and Lingayen, Pangasinan; author of "Swatting the Spanish Flies," a critical commentary on Philippine history, 2001, Giraffe Books
Related Links (must-reads):
There's The Rub : A Century Thence
by Conrado de Quiros
The Long View: Rizal's Pending Questions
by Manuel L.Quezon III
photo credit: Knights of Rizal
posted by Señor Enrique at 8:41 AM
2 Comments:
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Corsarius said... It's the first time I've seen that drawing of Rizal. Is that a self-portrait?
I read Indio Bravo, by Bantug, Ventura, and Bencab. It's a great read if you like books on Rizal; the illustrations are also top-notch.
May you and your loved ones have a Happy New Year, Senor Enrique!-
niceheart said...
This reminds me of a friend who looks up to Rizal, the Hero. He wrote an article in our high school website at this page: http://cpgarciaclass82.homestead.com/InnerVision.html
I noticed that you featured different heroes in the 3 previous posts. I guess each and everyone of us has different perspective of what a real hero is.
