Why is political “incorrectness” (read: kabastusan) becoming the trend among candidates nowadays?
That was the chief concern of concerned (and alarmed) voters as candidate after candidate for the May 12 midterm elections, seemingly unable to control their mouths, spewed rhetoric denigrating and demeaning certain sectors of our society.
From a male candidate saying single mothers can have a relationship with him to a mayoralty candidate urging to drive out “Bumbays” from her city, such statements have sufficiently disturbed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that they have stepped up in their drive to penalize such speech.
Supporters, of course, would spew out a whole river of excuses justifying such behavior: “Nagbibiro lang siya!” “Napaka-killjoy naman ninyo!” “Ano bang kinalaman ng bunganga niya sa paglilingkod sa bayan?”
But the sobering truth is that a candidate’s personal behavior can mirror his attitude towards public service.
As we have seen in the United States these past months, such vitriolic rhetoric and attacks against certain sectors of society have translated into government policy and programs that now threaten not only America’s reputation as the “land of the free” but the very survival of our world at large.
It’s disturbing to think that “freedom of expression” (as bandied by one such candidate called out by the Comelec) have been used, abused and justified as an excuse for totally jerkish behavior – behavior that will inevitably influence their own conduct when they are finally elected.
And lest we forget, we already have a law against such “bastos” statements: the Safe Spaces Act, which specifically penalizes all forms of gender-based harassment – yes, even verbal slurs and statements that denigrate specific sectors of our society.
Seriously speaking, if candidates are indeed serious in promoting change in their communities, they should “walk the talk” by changing their attitude towards the sectors they should be protecting. And that starts with “holding their tongue.”
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