Martinez, Christine M.

BSA II

Final Requirement

"No good water comes from a muddy spring, No sweet fruits come from a bitter seed" in
other words it's not your past or where you came from determines who you are. This is a quote
from our national hero Jose Rizal that hits our youth close to our heart. A lot of people put all the
blame into their past and that's why they keep on acting rebellious and full of angst all the time.
On Rizal's early life even though they have the financial prowess, Rizal stayed humble and chose
to be down to earth. Even in his exile in his own country, the Philippines, instead of holding
grudges he even managed to continue his propaganda which he started long way back in Spain. It
shows that when you love something even if it hurts you and discards you all the time, you'll
always come if the safety of what you love is at risk. Unlike the generation of youths today if
they feel like their dignity is at risk they'll drop everything including the thing that they love the
most. In connection with Rizal's execution that provoked the revolution, even though he's in the
middle ground disagreeing with the violent methods of Andres Bonifacio and the fierce ruling of
the Spaniards instead of being safe from the crossfire, he's the one who caught the wrath of the
outcome which resulted in his own death. I can clearly see a resemblance to the image of politics
today. That even though which side you choose, in the end, everybody will think of something
bad about your actions. There is no middle ground when it comes to politics. You must always
choose the winning side because if not, you’ll never survive in this monstrous world we live in.
If I were asked if I’ll do the same thing as Rizal did, I’d definitely say no. I will not be like him.
Because sometimes being a martyr is not the answer. It will surely lead you to your death. How
will you be able to stand your ground for a long time opening the eyes of the people around you
if you’re already dead? If we are to compare the past to the present, there are definitely a lot of
changes that have happened already. Before the death of Rizal served as the calling for Filipino
people to revolt against the Spaniards, but now I don’t think my death would even be a little bit
significant to at least half of the Filipino people. Instead, the medium I’d choose will be my
voting rights because there I have a voice. That even though my vote counts as only one, for me
it can somehow help make a difference if I choose someone I strongly believe in. As the saying
goes, if you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way because those small things are
what matters the most.