INCUBATOR OF HATRED

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BACKGROUND : What I have written is based on my observation of a certain social network page.

I am concerned because the page is one of the many websites that people from my region look into when they want to know any updates.  

Some issues that have been posted were not thoroughly researched on that even started a rage against a certain TV news reporter.  It went to the point where some have started sending messages to her  without even verifying the truthfulness of the issue.

I beg you, my dear brothers and sisters, to please consider researching before even posting it in the page.  Despite the message released by the reporter that what we have been getting was purely hoax, some are still at their high spirit and speak ill of the person.  

Respect begets respect. 

 Written and posted in a Social Network on Feb. 14, 2014.

People of the Cordillera, we are on common grounds here. We know who we are, where we’re from, and what we are capable of. Let us not make this site a ground for building up negative feelings. What just happened to Jessica Soho (she was wrongly accused) is the same thing that is happening to other countries or other groups where in the people are told about the negative things that the outside world or government is doing to them … then they start to build hatred and plan revenge… take for example North Korea. Their leaders tell their constituents that the Americans are the cause of their difficult times… then one citizen said “if I’ll see an American, I’ll kill him”. 

Let us be more responsible, take time to research. Remember the picture of a thespian with another indigenous group wearing our clothes? The production staff did not do their research… and we did react negatively… we demanded that they do their research first. But be careful with our statements for we too are putting down another indigenous group by name-calling. The same thing that our “earlier Spanish colonized” countrymen do to us.

Start in our own community. If our classmate or co-worker show ignorance about our existence, then try to give them bits and pieces of information about who we are. Don’t stand up and start cursing them. Our reactions will be the basis of their impression. It will either confirm or disprove it.

I don’t claim to be innocent. I have once, twice, thrice, or gazillion times reacted to discriminatory statements (in words or graphics) made by other people (celebrity or not). A college classmate of mine once asked me to bring back with me a house maid from my province when I return from my weekend vacation. I immediately responded to him, “Sure, as long as you give me one too from your place”. Another pointed at one male, not so good looking classmate (fat, dark skin, pouty lips, flat nose, but intelligent) and said that he might be my relative. I was quick to answer and said “Definitely not! Men from my place are good looking, have fair complexion, have tall nose, and are tall.” (what was i thinking? I don’t know… I should have thought of a better reply. We all know that we have no specific characteristics). And many more, and I’ve learned from them.

Sometimes, our reaction is more like of a self-pity and we try to boost each others ego… but in the process, we are building hatred to the outside world. It’s not like we are a separate kingdom or something. 

Where ever we are in the Philippines or around the would, let us focus our energy in building our region – culturally, socially, economically, spiritually, and mentally.