“The Day Words Spoke Louder than Actions” by Justin Posadas
Featuring a well-written post made by Justin Posadas on Facebook.
I’ve just read Patricia Evangelista’s article on Dick Gordon here, and this is what I have to say about that.
In that article, she did not fail to include that Dick Gordon “has an impressive resumé.” Well, it’s true, and I’m glad she said that. But it’s easy to use an all-encompassing phrase such as that to bag all of Sen. Gordon’s countless number of unselfish deeds done for our country, and then at a flick of a switch, nitpick on his character based on half-baked knowledge about him. By the way, I thank her for admitting that she “never met Gordon before the election season.” If what is in question is Dick Gordon’s character as a leader for this country, he has already proven it through his track record. In an imperfect world such as this, actions still speak louder than words….
These are the final days of the electoral campaign, and everyone running is up and about putting themselves up on the pedestal, and no matter how this self-beautifying act may come out, we cannot fault Dick Gordon for showing off his laurels—after all, that’s what campaigning is all about, right?
Now is the time to tell the people what you have done, not what you can do, which has yet to be proven. And there’s no time to prove it if you’ve done nothing, like some candidates. It’s only natural that you come out as a braggart when you’ve already ticked off more than enough tasks on the other candidates’ future to-do lists.
“Presidents are not exempt from humility, and those who think they are end up tyrants and dictators.” This is a very slippery slope, not that I'm agreeing that Mr Gordon isn't humble. I don't think he even realizes that he brags if he does so because he just does what needs to be done. What ultimate test of humility do you need from Mr Dick Gordon who pulls victims of calamities out of rubbles, rescues babies trapped in fallen buildings, trudges in dirty floodwater to save human lives (and not to take a bath in, unlike one popular candidate)?
What in the history of Dick Gordon tells you that he will be a tyrant? Ask any of his constituents in Olongapo. They will not say anything ruinous about him. And this is not because he has an iron fist wrapped around their necks. This is because they are volunteers who offered themselves for the ideal that Subic is right now. It is not fear that drives them but a deeply rooted respect for the man who is their inspiration to do good.
What have the others done anyway? Would you rather hear promises (said in the negative) of a future we will have (“Hindi ako magnanakaw.”) or proof of what has already been done in the past and what could be replicated on a larger scale tomorrow? We cannot nail someone on the cross just because he’s saying what should be said at a crucial moment.
As for the incident at RockEd and his “howling at his interviewer for calling him a coward,” you tell me, how must a man react when he is called a “coward”? See, here comes the media inviting a candidate as a guest, stealing a bit of his campaign time to grace his presence in their studio, and in the middle of the interview he is rudely challenged by a person who has done nothing in comparison to make the Philippines a better place. If I were insulted, I’d put him in his place with my fists. I’d have done something worse, but Mr Gordon thought the better and shut him up with mere words, not actions. In fact, the incident gives me more impetus to vote for him. I’d like a leader who can stand up for our people, someone who is proud of what the Philippines is and can be.
If there is any one body that has had its head in the clouds since day one, it’s the people in media. Is it not true that media is a powerful tool that shapes people’s minds? Is it really crazy to claim that the powers-that-be in ABias-CBN have already twisted the public mind in favor of who they want us to vote? I think it’s clear to Ms Evangelista that the media is very much tainted when she stated that she isn’t voting for Gordon because “Noynoy Aquino’s parents were allied 20 years ago with the TV station [she] write[s] for today.” Clearly, there is color in media.
This bias doesn’t just fester in television, it’s in radio, newspaper columns (such as the one hers came from), and published surveys. Media is the monster we need to tame but cannot. It feeds on money. And that is fact. To question where the money came from is not crazy talk. It’s just logical to do so.
Logic also tells us that the language between friends is something they share amongst themselves, alone. To misquote someone or to quote someone out of context is unbecoming of a good reporter. Bayani and Dick kid around, and it’s only human to do so. They will say things and smile at each other on tape, like most people do when they’ve noticed the camera is still rolling. I get their jokes, and I allow them that because they’ve earned my respect as leaders who have changed the communities they’ve governed for the better.
In a nutshell, what Ms Evangelista has implied in her article is that she will not vote for Gordon because he is a boastful jackass. I respect her opinion; anyone can have their own. But I hope she respects mine when I say that her basis for judging character is frail, rash, and lopsided. It is frail because she does not know him. It is rash because she makes judgments based on isolated events involving the media without understanding the reason behind his passion to present his argument. It is lopsided because she is a part of this tainted media machine.
I’m NOT ready to give up my vote for someone who vows he will NOT do something (like steal, for instance). I’d vote someone who says he will DO SOMETHING because he ALREADY DID IT if I really want change to happen. I don’t want someone who will merely “watch over the laws”. I want someone enforcing them. For change to take place, action must be done.
On the day words speak louder than actions, I’d be voting for the "poor guy" who claims to have swam the oceans of sewers like it's a prerequisite for office to reek of garbage. On the day words speak louder than actions, I’d also be voting the uninspiring push-over of a guy forced to run because a swarm of vultures surrounding him thought it was an opportunity and not a responsibility to lead a nation.
What ultimate test of humility do you need from Mr Dick Gordon who pulls victims of calamities out of rubbles, rescues babies trapped in fallen buildings, trudges in dirty floodwater to save human lives (and not to take a bath in, unlike one popular candidate)?