Veneration without Understanding by Renato Constantino

Veneration without understanding by Renato Constantino, the article that I have read regarding to our
national hero Dr. Jose Rizal is very meaningful and essential not only for us students but also for all
the Filipino citizens. It is because as a Filipino, his ideologies have contributed a great influence in all
of us as we grow up not only for us individuals but also in the society. This article offers a perspective
that many of us don’t know. It is suitable to read because it gives clarification in know who our
national hero really is. Mr. Renato Constantino wrote the said article to remind all those people who
idolizes our national hero so much without fully understanding his contexts during his time. The
veneration without understanding’s purpose is for us to be censorious about Rizal’s concepts and
ideas so we can be able to benefit in his extremities. Like us, Rizal is just a person; although he has
done a lot of great things he also has his flaws. And these concepts of his may be able to get a
modification so that it may be able to cope up with our current generation. As I read this article there
are some questions that pop-upped in my head.

Let us enumerate Constantino’s showcased thoughts in his article and I’ll give my own opinion
whether I agree or not. First question is as a Filipino do we really need to honour Rizal? According to
Constantino, he strictly contradicts the over exaltation of our national hero by some people. He
believes that Dr. Jose Rizal is not worthy to be assigned as our national hero because of the following
reasons: First is because he refused to take side to the revolutionary army; then he underestimated
the power and knowledge of the mass; and lastly he never really promoted true freedom because he
believes that it is just for the educated and not a national right. Constantino also denounced the
Americans that lead the initiation of choosing Rizal for being a national hero because it served as a
triggering devices that gives birth to different cults that recognizes Rizal as their God. And by this, we
almost forget the bravery of all the other heroes of our country.

He also called those who covered up Rizal’s treason to our country during the time of revolution as
traitors, especially the Rizalistas. Based on my opinion, I believe that we still need to commend Dr.
Jose Rizal, because even his simplest traits as a person are enough to consider him as a hero. We
may praise him but not in the way to exaggerated. Rizal is also a human just like the all of us, he gets
hurt, he also commits mistakes, he is not a saint and not as well as the Lord. That is why we need to
recognize him the right way just like a person, a person he always has been. Give him what is right
for him no more no less. Next is who proclaimed Dr. Jose Rizal as a national hero of the Philippines?

Constantino says that Rizal was chosen by the American people to be considered as the national
hero of the Philippines. Because of the following reasons: He is already dead when the Americans
has chosen him to be the national hero and he cannot fight back against the American army; he is
from the family of the illustrados, that took side along with the Americans; He was killed by the
Spaniards and not by the Americans; And he is against a bloody revolution.( at that time, the
Americans are just about to conquer our country; if revolution would be the national hero of the
Philippines, the people would have fought back just like the times of the Spaniards)

In short, Constantino believes that the Americans used even the proclamation to manipulate our
country. In my own understanding, there is no other than history that proclaimed Dr. Jose Rizal as our
national hero. Based on the great things that he had shared and contributed for our country. Even if
the Americans and other countries did not consider Rizal as our hero, there will come a time that we
ourselves as a Filipino will come together as one to appreciate what he has done for us. And lastly is
Dr. Jose Rizal’s ideology still applicable in our generation? In Mr. Constantinos belief, Rizal has writes
for his generation. It is a shame for us to embrace his mentality until now because it only means that
the Philippines had never changed from what it was in the past. In other words, it means that we are
still leaving in a colonial like and feudal like society because we are still seeing the same characters
and circumstances from his novel. According to him, the mission of this generation is to make Rizal’s
ideas to obsolete.

Because only by this that we can prove that we are truly free from the colony of the past. We can also
prove that we are able to think for new solutions for our social problems. I believe that there is no
timespan for greatness. Greatness has no expiration, once you have done something that mark on
the hearts and minds of the people, it is not important if it is timely or not because true greatness
cannot be defeated by time. You will create something immortal that cannot be erased. Heroism has
no generation, it may be old, it may be new, it may be in between but it doesn’t matter. And if we
apply his article it means we could learn from the past and because what happens in the past may
also happen in the future. As the saying goes like this, “History repeats itself”.

And because of this I believe that Rizal’s ideologies are still applicable, yes our generations may
change as well as our situations as time goes by but we can still use his lessons as guide in our new
period of society. As a conclusion, I didn’t want to say that Dr. Jose Rizal deserves to be our national
hero or not, I just want to elaborate that nobody is perfect, there are aspects of Rizal that we may see
as a model and there are some angles that needs to be revised and improved. What is important is
that we know these flaws and let these serve as an example of things to avoid, let us learn for the
benefit our country and for everyone. We can all be heroes in our own special ways, it may be small
or big, true greatness is something to be celebrate and appecriate.

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