Humans, More Than Human Rights

Dear President Obama,

Thank you for reminding our incoming president about the shared and common duty of presidents to protect human rights. In appreciation, let me send you a few reminders of our own about the Filipino psyche and culture. I’m generalizing that Filipinos tend to think and act in the concrete rather than the conceptual. Thus, while we do care for human rights and the rights of women, we care more and move quickly and decisively in protecting humans – our men and women. Clearly, humans are easily seen, heard, smelled, touched, and protected. Human rights, as much as human responsibility, are discussed and debated more and more, sometimes beyond the opportune time for meaningful action. There are countless examples but this is not the time and place for them.

No matter what human rights advocates say about the track record of our president, many in the know can probably tell you about the energy he spends in protecting particular men and women. And that’s the reason more humans, both men, and women, more than six million of them, voted for him than they did for the other four. That’s the reason why Gabriela, the women’s rights advocate group like him.

The pragmatic thing to say for now is that indeed humans voted him in, not human rights. In the end, are they not the same, two sides of one coin? You are good in one, we are good in the other, and that’s why we are good friends.

A toast to presidents, humans, human rights, and women – they are all to be loved and protected, in our own respective ways. Cheers!

Bob
WAWD May 29, 2016