Kapirasong Tela

Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:26 PM): or you can write about
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:26 PM): this
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:38 PM): my class got into bigr trouble because
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:51 PM): people started laughing and making faces during the national anthem
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:05 PM): the people singing the anthem badly weren't making fun of the anthem
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:07 PM): but of each other
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:21 PM): and everyone realized a lot of things about how they were
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:30 PM): i realized that as much as i love my country
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:54 PM): i don't sing my anthem and i just stand there to respect it (which according to james isn't really respecting it)
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:12 PM): i just stood there
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:28 PM): i didn't tell my classmates to shut up
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:48 PM): well, i was taught not to move or talk while the anthem plays as a child
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:52 PM): so all i could say was
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:54 PM): mga gaga
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:56 PM): so there
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:49:01 PM): what is your reaction to that?

We can look at our very own president and see if she sings the anthem or just stands there. I definitely have seen her just stand there respecting the flag. I'd like to believe though that just standing there is still a sign of respect to the flag, not only because I have seen the president do it, but because I know that when I do it, I still respect the flag.

Respect is very subjective. It all depends on how people like it expressed or on how people see it. We consider someone disrespectful when he sits while everyone stands and sings the anthem, while at the same time, we cannot blame a man with no legs for staying seated. Also, we can never blame a mute person for not singing.

If there were real strict rules for respecting, then we'd all be shot dead. There would have been no way we could follow each rule, for we're all different; and do not underestimate how different we all can get. There are no such rules, a testament to the fact that respect depends on how people look at it.

Whoever really said that not paying attention to the national anthem was disrespecting the flag? Older people said that, and they probably got that from much older dead people. Where did the dead people learn what and what not respect is? They learned it from how they felt, and I believe that though respect is very subjective, that no one should really scold you for respecting in whatever way you want, the "rules" we follow now also stemmed from the perception of people, and those "rules" would not have been passed down all the way down to us if they did not speak at least a grain of truth about how people see respect. So the rules are not all that bad, and I believe that most of us, not all, would agree that the rules agree to how we feel about certain matters in general, especially the national anthem.

The Ateneo High School uniform was chosen by the students. Before having uniforms, the students were required to wear their IDs, since there were great security threats brought about by wearing casual daily. About a decade ago, the students were given a choice by the school. The school asked what they wanted for their uniform, and meetings were held. Definitely, at this point of transition from casual clothes to cool blue polos, there were temptations to bend the uniform rule. So Father Caluag, then principal, announced in a general assembly that while the rules are about to be changed, there are still standing rules that have to be followed. As long as there is a rule, follow it, and now that there will be changes, follow the present rule until it is changed. It makes perfect sense to me.

Respect is subjective, but there are still rules. Rules have rich backgrounds. Maybe we should follow them while they are there. Change will come appropriately.