I usually do not talk about politics since it is a slippery slope as a topic, but from what I have seen during the campaign period these past few weeks, maybe I would opt to share these observations.
The sanctimony I have seen from both camps of presidential aspirants, Vice President Leni Robredo and former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., is just downright toxic.
I am not a patriotic person since I have ideals that will make everyone hate me if I ever talk about it, so let’s leave it there.
Watching the supporters of Robredo and Marcos argue these past few weeks is absolutely horrific. Just the sheer amount of bigotry and hatred supporters have exhibited toward each other is embarrassing.
I thought that elections are supposed to be a symbol of hope for a better future, but it gave me all the more reasons not to indulge myself in discussing about patriotism.
Watching people calling out each other is just not entertaining in any way.
Robredo supporters calling out Marcos supporters as “stupid” for voting a former’s dictator’s son, or Marcos supporters mocking the Vice President, as the former senator takes the lead in the canvassing of votes. There was no display of sympathy to Robredo knowing the amount of stress and hard work she and her supporters put in during the campaign period.
I know protecting your ideals is good, but when you shift to toxicity in order to show how loyal you are to your political beliefs, then that just makes you the stupid one.
Like I said, I’m no patriot and I don’t see myself rooting for anyone during the elections as well. Even though I did slightly root for Robredo, not in a political way or anything, but I just wanted to experience a female leader in my lifetime like Angela Merkel, former chancellor of Germany, or New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
But for God’s sake just seeing the word war on social media, or friends not talking to each other because of the color of dress they wear and the slurs I have heard, read, and watched in social media are really frustrating.
These observations would not matter anyway since I’m a high school student and unqualified to make statements like these.
But still, if you resort to hate and dogmatism in times like this then it leads you nowhere.
So, I guess no matter whose side you are in and if you are toxic all throughout then you are in the wrong side even if the person you rooted for won, right?
Whoever you voted for is not my concern and I respect that because at the end of the day, the victors in this presidential election have our future riding along their shoulders.
The future of this nation depends on plans and actions of those voted into the halls of power. (DHOBIE DE GUZMAN, JR.)
April 25, 2024
