I was 10 years old when my Kuya went to EDSA in 1986. We kept a vigil at home and prayed for his safety and Tito Ben's safety (he was in the military back then). I grew up aware of what's happening. Tito Ed also shared what they did during the Light a Fire Movement. He shared their acts were done to spark awareness and vigilance.
I did a lot of volunteer work in high school and college years. Sometimes it was helping pack goods for donations, oftentimes doing training. I did join some rallies in college, but the biggest one I joined was EDSA Dos. I went with my high school friends and we were there when Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in to become president.
I think the younger generation today didn't need to have this "skill". They were shielded from having to do protests. Labor groups still do it, and as far as I remember the last biggest anti corruption rally was in 2013 (Million People March).
I think it's important to bring the online protests to the streets. The percentage of people reading trending posts is just really a small percentage of our population. A rally is simply a gathering to make your point heard and historically usually peaceful in our country. Of course, make sure to get proper permits!
*My health won't allow me to join any physical rallies right now, so I'm taking the prayer warrior route for now. I wrote this post because I was wondering why today's generation isn't out on the streets yet. Maybe able bodies GenXers can provide guidance?
#BeKind #StaySafe
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