SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA– What is this Marcos hashtag I’ve been seeing on my Facebook feed the last couple of months? #neverforget
Am I correct in assuming that it is about re-educating today’s youth about the dreadful era that was the Martial Law? If so, why don’t they know about it? Aren’t these things taught in classes anymore?
I can understand why there is much furor over the issue. Forgetting the atrocities of the past, and not learning from our mistakes create a cycle of idiocy that will bury the country further into, well, idiocy.
I myself still remember what it was like during ‘those days’ and I was just a child. The earliest memory I have was when I was around four years old. Although my parents tried hard to shield us from what was happening on the streets, we still felt the fear in the air. There were hushed conversations, stern instructions, and violent reactions to news stories on TV.
My parents were very chilled when I was growing up. But they were quite strict when it came to imposing curfews. They didn’t tell us the real reason, of course. We were only kids. So in my mind, I always thought the reason was because once the sun disappeared, the zombie-like creatures from that movie The Omega Man (or for newer generation, I Am Legend) would come out and infect kids.
They never told me otherwise, so I believed that was it.
It was only later on when I realised just how harsh the truth was. People being tortured, soldiers abusing their power, violence in the streets, and behind closed doors. How can people forget a country’s history so quickly?
Even today, I still remember where I was when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. I was playing on our living room floor with my sisters, while my mother was in the kitchen, and my father napped on the couch. The TV was on, and a breaking news story interrupted regular programming. I remember because I was annoyed they stopped the regular show.
Our black and white TV screen was filled with the video of Aquino’s body slumped on the tarmac. We thought it was just another movie. We had no concept of what is news then. We were kids.
It was only because my father literally jumped off the couch, and screamed at the TV that we knew it was important. We stopped playing, and watched our parents’ reaction.
Over the years, these things tend to be forgotten, I guess. Especially when the generation hasn’t been directly affected by such an event. It is quite easy to swat it away as yet another part of the country’s violent history.
The Edsa Revolution, if you’ve never had one in your lifetime, becomes just another thing to memorise in class.
Is it apathy that brought us here? Or is it the lack of education? Surely, the country doesn’t need another Martial Law to shock people into thinking hard before electing officials into position.
Or maybe this is just how it is today: If it’s not trending on social media, and doesn’t have a hashtag, it’s not relevant.
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