The Filipino Cry For Attention

Is it too much to expect people to be color blind when it comes to international competition??


The whole wide world
An endless universe
Yet we keep looking through
The eyeglass in reverse
Don't feed the people
But we feed the machines
Can't really feel
What international means
In different circles, we keep holding our ground
In different circles, we keep spinning round and round


Territories by Rush from the album Power Windows.




On the eve of another Sunday where everything stop stills here in the Philippines I have to say this.


If you read this previous entry I made, this entry is more or less the same thing.


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/951/One_Person_Wants_To_Make_Dancing_With_The_Stars_About_Race_And_Not_Dancing

That email below about making everybody vote on CNN for their 2009 Heroes Contest. As usual I am disturbed by the overt racism by all the people that support this myopic campaign because they ignore everybody else in the voting on lines of RACE. What they are saying is not only is any non Filipino not only does not deserve your vote. We won't even tell you what they did or who they are. Just vote in terms of who is brown. I know it sounds stupid but that is exactly why I call people out on it.

I have nothing against Efren Penaflorida. I wish we had more people with his heart and compassion running this country as opposed to the opportunistic egomaniacs that are doing it right now. It's just the vote should be about what he does against what the others does and not where they are born.

Some worthy Heroes from that contest who are not Filipino but are worthy of at least your attention if not your vote, all things being equal:


Flavio Canto Olympian transforms poor children's lives through judo
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/07/16/cnnheroes.flavio.canto/index.html




Pamela Green-Jackson

• Pamela Green-Jackson began crusade for youth fitness after her obese brother died
• Youth Becoming Healthy teaches middle schoolers about exercise and nutrition
• The organization has helped about 4,000 children since 2004
• Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive09/pamela.green.jackson.html





Pam Koner

• Pam Koner's nonprofit connects sponsor and recipient families
• Family-to-Family has provided nearly 800,000 meals to those in need
• Families also connect on a social level, exchanging letters, photos, stories

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/05/14/cnnheroes.pam.koner/index.html




Budi Soehardi

• Budi Soehardi founded an orphanage to help children in Indonesia
• "Mr. Budi is like my own father," one resident says
• Soehardi and his wife harvest their own rice to sustain the orphanage's food supply

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/03/cnnheroes.budi.soehardi/index.html

Don't these people deserve to have their stories known or even have equal opportunity to the vote even if they are not Filipino?

As usual this imperialistic prejudice stems from people who are totally insecure that they need this for validation from whatever international stage. Any contest should be about merit and not race. You tell me what the email below is promoting and who they are promoting to? Last I looked, excluding somebody from something based purely on race is discrimination and racism.


Ed



previously related posts:

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/943/What_part_of_beyond_reasonable_doubt_do_you_not_understand_Erap_related

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/518/Hes_One_of_Us_Thats_Why

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/263/The_Filipino_Olympic_Effort_and_Results_my_reaction_

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/886/Discrimination_Can_Cut_Both_Ways









"Shelley Ong"
<jsong@prime.net.
ph> To
"Shelley Ong" <jsong@prime.net.ph>
10/13/2009 03:57 cc
PM
Subject
FW: CNN Hero of The Year Award -
PLS VOTE FOR This FILIPINO Hero





Subject: Fw: CNN Hero of The Year Award - PLS VOTE FOR This FILIPINO Hero

Hello everyone...This Efren Penaflorida is really a hero in the
Philippines and the world. Please read his story and vote for him. There
is no limit to the number of times you can cast your vote. We have until
Nov. 19 only to help him. Do you not think he deserves the honor? Plus
the monetary award will surely help him in his endeavor to keep on doing
what he is doing... to give the poor a chance at education and keep them
away from gangs and drugs.
We are grateful for someone like Efren. We may not be able to physically
do what he is doing but we can certainly cast a vote to help him. Please
cast your votes many times (this is allowed) and spread the news.






(Embedded image moved to file: pic08634.jpg)art.efren.

penaflorida.cnn.jpg
Each year, CNN gives $100,000 to the winner (from a field of ten
finalists---winnowed from 9,000 nominees from all over the world) of its
"Hero of the Year" award. This year, a 28-year-old Filipino, Efren
Pe�aflorida, made it to the top ten. (A panel of 12 well-known
personalities from various fields picked the finalists. Colin Powell was
among the judges this year). If Efren wins this year's award (based on
how many votes he gets, which will depend on us), he will be able to
expand his mobile school program for the children of the slums in the
Philippines. What this young man is doing to improve the lives of the
kids in the slums is truly inspiring.

Here's the link to Efren's story and his Dynamic Teen Company (the
organization he founded).
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/03/05/heroes.efren.penaflorid
a/index.html

TO VOTE, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK:
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/vote/


Voting is open between now and Nov. 19. CNN will announce the winner and
give out the award at a star-studded show on Thanksgiving night in L.A. at
the Kodiak Theater (same venue for the Oscars). So, let's all help Efren
win so that he will, in turn, be able to help more impoverished kids. The
more votes Efren gets, the greater his chances of winning the "Hero of the
Year" award and the $100K. It will take less than a minute to click a
button to cast your vote. Let's all help Efren continue to make a
difference in those slum kids' lives. Without his mobile school and his
group of volunteers, those kids will probably never have a chance to set
foot in a real school and learn their ABCs. Let's all vote for Efren!
Please don't forget to pass this on to everybody you know---Filipinos and
non-Filipinos alike----so more people can vote for this young man with an
extra big heart. Thanks!!