Political Hypocrite

I'm turning 19 in a couple of days. I was already eligible to vote last Monday, May 14, the country's midterm election. I didn't. I was not registered. I had all the chance last December to register but I decided not to. I don't believe in the system.

So until the next election I technically have no right to complain against our government. I don't care anyway. The government can continue doing its rotten ways and I would still exist. After all, I existed for almost 2 decades without minding the government. Ooops, I forgot, I'm studying in UP. Somehow, the government and I have a little connection because it pays for my education.

But as I was browsing my files earlier, I accidentally opened this essay. It was a requirement for our History 2 class. This is a reaction paper about the movie Iron Jawed Angels. It's about fighting for the right to vote. It hit me hard. I realized how much of a hypocrite I am. Read the latter paragraphs and you'll know why. I intentionally did not edit this.

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Iron Jawed Angels may not be a flawless masterpiece but it was just a few points shy of scoring a perfect 10. What has been a chapter or two of this historical account in dusty history books was ripped-off and amazingly metamorphosed into a dramatic success and critically acclaimed TV-film. And that’s putting bias to my sexuality aside.

It was a stirring real tale of a group of women dedicated on campaigning for the full citizenship of women and their right to vote. Political campaigner Alice Paul and social activist Lucy Burns head a radical party of suffragists, which includes lawyer Inez Mulholland and senator’s wife Emily Leighton as recruits, committed to fight for a conclusively worthy cause. Famous among the group’s artistic crusades was a street parade led by Inez, dressed as an angel-warrior, on horseback, on the day of President Wilson’s inauguration.

The pivotal incident and one of the bravest thing they did was picketing in front of the White House during the onset of war in Europe, arousing public anger as they kept on “pushing” a wartime president. After contending with physical abuse and verbal insults from outraged hecklers they end up in prison charged with “obstructing traffic”, the best that the Wilson Administration can think of to cover for its embarrassment and condescending attitude towards the women’s plight.

The latter half of the movie painfully portrayed the barbaric and groundless punishments Alice has to endure, after leading the other agitators in a hunger strike, including tortuous sessions of forced-feeding and isolated incarceration in a straight jacket in a sadistic psychiatric ward; proving the adage that extreme courage is often mistaken for insanity.

The heartbreaking prison scenes made the culminating scene truly an inspiring and triumphant event. I was simply swept away with a sense of profound feeling of being proud and sincerely happy for these ladies, with faces of that of angels but with determination as hard as iron, for winning the elusive fight for equality, which women have been continuously struggling for, ever since chauvinism made its way to dictionaries.

A history film always comes along with a warning label for juvenile viewers: “boring, keep off!” But this movie steps off from this stereotyping and emerged victorious as it was well received and highly appreciated by contemporary audiences. A filmography success attributed to its enthralling mix of humor and heartbreak and a bonus was its modern soundtrack, which startlingly blended well with the movie’s historic context. As in Joe Friedrich words, “…the film [Iron Jawed Angels] positions itself to embody a spirit as timely as it is timeless.”

This movie was definitely an eye-opener. I’m turning eighteen this year and in the next election I’m already eligible to vote. But seeing the hapless state of our terminally ill nation, thanks to our greedy leaders, I’ve been considering the thought of totally abstaining from elections. It seems to me that no matter how many elections we hold and no matter what electoral system we employ, we always end up choosing the same bunch of worthless dorks.

But after watching this movie, I’m reconsidering my options. I can’t help but feel lucky that the Filipino women of our history didn’t have to go through a lot of torment to fight for something, which is legally and rightfully, should have been uniformly accorded to all, regardless of sexuality. I’m fortunate that our usually rotten government system has amazingly allowed both man and woman to vote. Now that in a few months I can exercise this right, why should I waste something so precious? I may cast only one vote but a single ballot truthfully filled-up will somehow make a difference.

My pessimism about the state of our country was given a glint of light after watching this movie. These suffragists were able to make a hard president contemplate about their plight for equality in a society dominated by men. If they made something impossible became a reality then there is still hope that someday, election might produce miracles to cure our sickly country.

Yes, I am a woman but I’m not a fan of feminism as I am very much against chauvinism. I am for equality. I know it’s a cliché but there is a reason why things are cliché, it’s because they are true. I have been and always will be firm in believing that no sexuality was created superior than the other because men and women were created to supplement each other’s weaknesses.

This movie might be a bit feministic but everyone, men and women, would certainly agree that this film has given us a long-overdue reminder about our constitutional right, which significance is habitually forgotten, that is, to appreciate and exercise our right to vote.

The iron jawed angels’ courage have inspired a nation almost nine decades ago but their legacy still resonates in every voter’s heart.

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I still can't believe that I'm such a hypocrite. It's so shameful. Then, you may ask, why did I post this in the first place? This is to remind me, everytime I open my blog, that in the next election, I will cast my vote and nobody can stop me. Nobody. Not even Prince Pierre. I owe this to our country and to the Filipino people who are paying for my education.

I don't believe in the government and the electoral system. But I do believe in the Constitution.

Funny Mommies

My last minute tribute to all the moms out there! Belated Happy Mom's Day! Especially to the best mom in the entire universe...my mom! Hey, every kid thinks that her mom is the best in the world:) Allow me to be a little boastful.

Behind every famous person is a mother who believed in her child first before the world found out of their genius. Yes, a mother will always be a child's greatest fan.

I'm speaking from experience. Do you know that my mom keeps a copy of all my essays?! And she rereads them a lot! Lol! Talk about Ellafanatic. The world may think that I'm the lousiest writer but I can always count on my mom to say that I am better than all Pulitzer winners combined. See? She even distorts reality and tries to believe in them too. The world can go on and think anything it wants about me and I wouldn't give a damn. Because at the end of each day, the whole humanity may snub me, and no matter how I trampled my self-esteem, I know that my biggest fan is sitting at home, only a phone call away. And she's the only fan that matters:)

I asked her before to stop keeping my essays because it's SOOO embarassing. She told me, "Do you know that moms are excused from the law of humility? We are allowed to be extra proud of our kids." I rest my case. But I do wish kids are given extra inch of thickness to bear the embarassment caused by this exemption from humility law. But I'm not complaining:)

Happy Mother's Day Ma! I love you!

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Abraham Lincoln's Mom:
"Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

Barney's Mom:
"I realize strained plums are your favorite, Barney, but you're starting to look a little purple!"

Mary's Mom:
"I'm not upset the you lamb followed you to school, Mary, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you?!"

Batman's Mom:
"It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance will be?!"

Goldilock's Mom:
"I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the bear family. You know anything about this Goldie?"

Little Miss Muffet's Mom:
"Well, all I've got to say is if you don't get off your tuffet and start cleaning your room, there'll be a lot more spiders around here!"

Albert Einstein's Mom:
"But, Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"

George Washington's Mom:
"The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance goodbye!"

Jonah's Mom:
"That's a nice story, but now tell me where you've really been for the past 3 days!"

Superman's Mom:
"Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit spending so much time in all those phone booths?"

Thomas Edison's Mom:
"Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb, dear. Now turn off that light and get to bed!"

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If I am Thy child, O God, it is because Thou gavest me such a mother.
- St. Augustine

A woman's love is mighty, but a mother's heart is weak, and by its weakness overcomes.
- Lowell

Mother - the essence of loveliness,
The beauty of a rose,
The sparkle of a dewdrop
And sunset's sweet repose.
- Lydia M. Johnson

No Poet's pen. Nor artist's brush
In Justice to her fame
Ever could reach high enough
To write a mother's name.
- Anonymous

Canned Sexualities

This was an assignment for our OT 140 class.
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I am a daughter of Eve and I totally love being a part of this huge and exclusive sorority. I love to lavish on the perks that come with my sexuality and then boldly face the struggles it carries with it, those things that only a woman can understand. Just for the ladies, no gentlemen allowed.

Anyway it is easy to see if an intruder from the other species, we call men (to some of my sisters, they prefer “my boys”,) is trying gate crash. All it takes is just one look and it’s like distinguishing yin from yang. But beyond the physical distinctions, there is more to being a woman than the stereotyped image of 36-24-36, 5’ 6”, and Heidi Klum looks (90% of my sisters, including me, are not born to rule the runway, so we have long accepted the fact to just simply stay as beautiful creatures.) And this is where the uniqueness of every woman comes in, the expression of our sexuality, our femininity.

It has always been a predicament to veer away from the typical conception of womanhood: fragility, grace, poise, beauty, gentleness. This rebellious side of being a woman, the desire to be seen as strong, powerful, and independent, is always craving to get out. Probably to spite the norms of society dominated by the criterion established by men. But in the course of evolution, most of us decided to just stick to being fabulous than being brawny and manly, and use our femininity to get away with things.

Admittedly, I preferred and thus been expressing my sexuality through the old typecasting of being woman. I was part of the women population who stuck to being ladylike. I don’t know why but for me it has always been easier to be fragile than tough, to be graceful than being stiff, to be gentle than rough. And being poised and gorgeous just come so naturally for a woman, as if we were innately endowed of being fabulous.

Expressions, I prefer to tag them as “symptoms”, of my womanhood include: strong attraction to shoes (often accompanied with the draining of my allowance straight into the cash register); being fickle-minded; addiction to chick flicks and tearjerkers (and always end up crying or getting kilig after the movie); always asking my guy friends to do things for me; being soft-hearted specially to kids and to the elderly; getting butterflies in the stomach and gummy-bear-knees when my crushes pass by; when strangled in a no-win battle with my male friends I would show a glint of tears and voila! I get my way (I know, I’m evil); using PMS as an excuse for being grumpy; enjoying conversations from sunset to sunrise with my girl friends; using my being a girl as an excuse for not doing yucky and heavy works; not really saying the truth when I say “yes” and “I’m fine”; having girl talks with my mom and sister; a passive supporter of women movements (I’m not directly affiliated); strong believer of women empowerment; a fan of sports dominated by women like gymnastics and synchronize swimming; absolutely hates chauvinism; have erratic mood swings; easily swept away by gentlemen’s gestures; enjoys being pampered and complimented; thinks that Chris Evans is hot; and is gullible to cheesiness.

But aside from my strong inclination towards women stuff, I also enjoy doing things which are mostly associated to men like: enjoying my fencing classes, loving the adrenaline rush of learning to drive, takes pleasure in watching guy sports like equestrian, kart racing, and lawn tennis, being adventurous (but still short of being a dare-devil), loving the farm life, my love for fast cars and 4WD racing; being lazy, being stubborn, and a tendency of being bossy.

But up until yesterday, I haven’t really thought of searching for the meaning of sexuality. I didn’t really see any need for it (until Sir Lenin gave the homework, hehe.) I thought knowing that I’m a girl, I am comfortable with it, I’m not having sexuality-crisis, and majority of my passions and interests fall into what the society considers as normal for a girl, I would be fine.

Sexuality is an identity expression based on or influenced by biological sex. It also means the demonstration of intimacy and sexual sensations between humans (Human Sexuality, 2006.) Various cultures across the world perceive sexuality differently and throughout history this view has constantly changed. To say that it is a very broad topic is an understatement. Its scope ranges from “the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects; philosophy, particularly ethics and the study of morality, as well as theology” (Human Sexuality, 2006)

But commonly, sexuality is associated with its social aspect. The “stereotypes of masculine and feminine behaviors and characteristics that permeate our culture” (Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5-12, 1999.) It influences social standards and in the process, is also influenced by society, particularly in the modes of expression. The direction of a person’s sexuality or having affectional attraction to another person is known as sexual orientation or sexual preference (term used by “those who believe that sexuality is fluid and incorporates an element of choice” (Sexual Orientation, 2006)).

My previous perception about sexuality is not that far in comparison to the new insights (no matter how vague and limited) that I have read. Mine was concentrated on the social features of sexuality and the expected behaviors I should possess to gain approval from society.

I may be traditional and orthodox in my views about sexuality and lines that delineate males from females but I have always been open about other sexual preferences. I have been a believer that there is more to a person than sexuality, more to life than the name-posts tagged by our culture and society.

Michael Stipe sums it all, “I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.”