"And the world will be better for this/That one man, scorned and covered with scars/ Still strove with his last ounce of courage/To reach the unreachable star." - Excerpt from The Impossible Dream, (Man of La Mancha, 1972)
WHEN we think of Ninoy Aquino, one song reverberates in our head – The Impossible Dream.
According to former Senate President Jovito Salonga, Ninoy’s greatest legacy was his obstinacy in his position and beliefs. "From Ninoy’s life and death, we learned that we should never compromise with any dictator, whether homegrown or not, especially one who has no sense of right and wrong," Salonga said.
Wrongfully accused, arrested and imprisoned in solitary confi nement by Marcos’ totalitarian and militarized government, Ninoy remained defi ant against the dictatorship and never succumbed to the martial law regime’s wishes for him to participate in the military court proceedings.
As we commemorate the 26th anniversary of Ninoy’s heroic death, we should never forget Ninoy’s unwavering courage and the legacy that he has passed on to us. We should imbibe his sense of nationalism with the same fervor and passion.
There should be no room for complacency nor compromise when it comes to our democracy. Let us be advocates of Ninoy’s iron will and live by these words of the iamninoy campaign: "I am a Hero. I do what I believe is Right. I do what I believe is Good. I fi ght for Justice. I fi ght for Freedom. I am Ninoy."
Let us wear Ninoy’s spectacles of truth, "see through Ninoy’s eyes, and let his spirit live on in each of us."
With unity, courage and vigilance, each of us can make Ninoy’s impossible dream possible. (AJPress)
( Published on August 22, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A12 )
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