EDITORIAL - Decide on our own merits

Making a big thing out of being the only remaining country in the world that does not recognize divorce is sadly reminiscent of the same inconsequential argument that the Philippines is one of the few remaining countries that has not added more years to basic education.

As can be seen clearly, the same argument about how we stand with the rest of the world is used for different purposes — in a positive sense when it comes to the issue of divorce, and in a negative sense when it comes to adding more years to high school.

As far as divorce is concerned, it is argued that it is perfectly all right for the Philippines to remain the only country in the world that does not recognize it. But when it comes to more years to high school, it is pointed out that the country should not be the pariah.

And the longer we belabor the point about the kind of company we keep in the community of nations, the more apparent it becomes that the argument is not really anchored on the bedrock of unassailable principle but is being prostituted to conform to the wishes of its clientele. 

One would have thought that in matters of extremely grave importance to its citizens such as whether or not to recognize divorce, and whether or not to add more years to high school, the Philippines would have relied on forceful arguments and meaningful reasons to come to a decision.

Divorce and more years of basic education are issues far too important to leave to whimsical decision-making. It is foolish to attempt to decide on what is best for our own selves while keeping one eye at what the rest of the world is doing.

We need to understand that while the issues may be universal, we need to decide on them based on how they apply to us as a people and affect our integrity and destiny as a nation. For however we may decide, it is we and not them who will have to live with the consequences.

It matters not whether we are in step with the rest of the world or not. What matters is whether the decisions we make allow us to emerge a better people and a stronger nation. Indeed, it is how we decide on issues that affect us that determine our acceptability to the world.

If young American kids wear heavy baggy pants and several layers of upper clothing, at least the climate they have is temperate. But take a look at their Filipino copycats burning under our hot tropical sun — they are sticky with sweat and they stink.