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| (photo by: ...me, it's nice owning a copy of the mask ) |
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Actually it's pretty ironic since today would've been the perfect day for me to wear my Guy Fawkes mask, as fate would have dictated it I forgot it in my dorm back at the university.
But it's not all about the mask. The mask is not protection. The mask is the surface.
The mask symbolizes the inner idealism of those who seek realization of their united purpose. Behind the mask is not flesh...behind the mask is an idea.
A few hours ago, I've had another session of free-idea discussion with one of my best friends, our first after several months. Our focus was about the use and misuse of the Guy Fawkes mask.
Here in our country, also internationally known, the mask is for anonymity. But sometimes the meaning and the symbolism of the mask is often abused to the point of using it as a means of personal gain.
Guy Fawkes wasn't a one man army. He was part of a group that shared one single purpose.
Remember it's the likeliness of his face that we use to hide our own. It serves for an unbiased reaction.
My friend exclaimed that one of his own friends who recently participated on a rally wore the mask and would later on post a photo of himself on facebook wearing it and purposely telling the world that that masked person is him. It obviously destroys the purpose of the mask.
A mask is not used to hide your face, it is to represent something, something bigger than any individual and this something is made up of large numbers who share a common purpose. Wearing a mask then revealing your identity later on is just plain stupid.
It also proves that whatever the rally was about, it's not something important enough to be taken seriously. Why else would you wear a mask and tell the world who you are...to gain fame? Rip your face instead.
My friend and I didn't discuss the following but I might as well write something about it.
First of all, I have to say that I'm a coward when it comes to humans especially those extravagant and extreme socialites. I have nothing good to say in my argument, everything is solely based on my reaction towards people described above. Whether you feel like beheading me or teaching me a lesson or two about the better "society", I sure hope you don't know my address.
Rallies has become a common part in my life as a college student. They say the University of the Philippines is a dangerous place because of all those activists who have no fear of the law. But it's not just about the socially inclined students of the system. It's about the whole country itself.
We have a government full of people that we voted for. During campaign period, we see heroes. During elections, we hope for these heroes. Give or take a few months in service, the vast majority already have something to say. Then it's rally here, megaphone there, placards everywhere.
Why do we constantly ask for change when it's already happening?
Oh, is it not the change that you're looking for? Too bad, so sad. Try again.
Everyone is at fault here. You can't blame the "corrupt" system and neither can you blame the people who placed them there. So who's to blame? The damn liars or the simple believers? None and everyone. Doesn't make sense? Well neither does the cycle of love 'em hate 'em that this society has.
A year hasn't gone by where I haven't heard a single echo from a speech of a person who seeks the "rightful" change. I see people raising tarpaulins with well thought of slogans but doesn't exactly speak much to the minds of the people that they are targeting. To me a rally only has a purpose when people join, they understand its purpose and each of them has their own voice.
A rally with only one voice and the rest are merely followers is just a gathering with no clear direction. When a voice is used too much, it becomes unreasonable.
Not to confuse reality with fiction, those who seek change does the change themselves, no need to shout to a person in authority's deaf ear. In fiction it's simple, in real life it's just difficult but not impossible.
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