Probably because of Araw ng Kagitingan (lit. Day of Valor), a holiday commemorating the fall of Bataan, there’s talk again of whether Marcos is a hero or not and whether he should be buried at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (lit. Cemetery of Heroes). It reminds me of the time my grade school teacher talked about Emilio Aguinaldo, a Philippine president who is not buried at the Libingan. My teacher said, he was a president but he was not a hero.

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In the endless history of human interaction and/or conflict, you will sometimes hear the statement “Don’t be judgmental”. Ignoring the obvious irony of their being judgmental when they tell you not to be judgemental, what exactly is wrong with being judgemental? When you compliment, nobody’s going to call you judgmental. But when you criticize, constructive or otherwise, you will be called judgmental. But the reality is, in every situation you judge people as they interact with you and others, situations as they happen, and things as you see them. It is just how you go about life. It is how you go about getting the good things and avoiding the bad things. Perhaps what is really meant is “Don’t be wrongly judgmental” as in “Don’t judge a book by its cover” But that’s an entirely different thing.