fighting words and resignation

i was in tears when i saw this video on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7zlJx9u2E

after reading on the incident from the insidehighered.com site, what's a guy to do? answers would be welcome.

why!??

ok, so i've been lazy

but being in a new place and cold weather is not really a recipe for being up and about. or to write. you do a lot of thinking, but it kinda freezes in your mind like tongue on newly minted dry ice.

i got one that butch dalisay "published" in his pinoy_penman blog. being that i'm a big fan of his prose, i was kinda giddy that he thought an email i sent was "edgy" enough or engaging. it was really just an email i sent him, never imagining it would find a public stage. of course its just a blog, i'm sure its no big deal. but i root heavy for cheap thrills, so i'll put that right here and simmer in my own delight.

its cut and paste, warts and all:

From the Readers (3)

IT'S TIME to dig into our mailbag for some interesting responses from the readers. I’m publishing three such comments below, all verbatim, with these readers’ kind permission. I'm not saying that these are necessarily the best-written ones, or those I most strongly agree or disagree with; let's just say they have an edge to them that others might find engaging. From now on, I’ll be providing the readers’ e-mail addresses as well, so that other readers can respond directly to them if they so wish.


On “Civil Society?”


great dilemma you put out there. and i'm sure its one mulled over (well, maybe not really) each generation of a hopeful citizenry striving to make heads or tails of our political fiesta. some want the panache to transcend the barbarism of a physical attack. of course, others may just simply want to bash in someone's face, preferably that of a perceived symbol of what is antithetical to the state they presently exist.

perhaps deep inside these two categories mutually envy each other and their capacities. Thing is, while i'm predisposed to one as against another (not telling which) i can see the purpose for both. i suggest, with no science backing it up either, that these actions serve to reduce the objet of their ire and dismantle whatever sense of invincibility they have. if i were forced to be silent in a state where political dissent seems to have a rather pallid face, i would attempt to put some red onto that face by showing that the perp is not all that strong. in..any..way..i. can.

and since i have such a small stature with no public persona and only a deeply cultivated rage against an oppressive government, i could understand the satisfaction of that angry mob when it lobs an egg onto a face of government. i may not do it myself, but i;m glad someone has. in turn, i will do what comes more naturally to me and hope that those who lob projectiles can find satisfaction in it as well.

in the end, whatever they do, or I do, may serve to reduce the stature of these men enough to encourage many more to speak their mind (or speak my mind for me, haha.) perhaps, its really not about shutting everyone up. its may just be about encouraging others to find their voice.

i find myself anxious in these times when dissent (perhaps even all sense of integrity) is under seige in makati. your article makes me realize even more the value of understanding the roles we each play in the lives of fellows. some write. some silence. some fight. some cheat. some throw eggs. some have it smashed in their heads.

xcm (xc_marin@yahoo.com)