Democracy
is not about numbers only. Before it was branded as “the tyranny of numbers”,
it was believed to be a formative social dynamics— a system which is based on
values.
Equality
is a basic premise of democracy.
Equality
enunciates that every person has a voice in public discourses. The “one man-one
vote” equation symbolizes this principle. Every vote counts and weighs as much
as any other vote.
Consequently,
no name enjoys undue preference in a democracy. The market place of ideas is
conceived to avoid the grant of special privileges for any person, group or
interest. In this sense, democracy is impersonal; it cares not for what a name
stands for. All persons, regardless of their beliefs, color, ethnic or racial
origin, gender, economic interest or political status, are all the same with
respect to rights and obligations. Names are inconsequential because they
cannot make any dent in public processes.
However,
this is hardly true in societies where special privileges for certain groups
are not uncommon. In a highly divided society, names signify more than what
their nominal letters could convey. Names acquire a context and content because
of the inequities prevalent in existing societal systems. A person’s name
symbolizes the social and political powers that he or she exerts in private and
public spheres. In turn, politics becomes a game only for big names, people who
control much of the economic, political and social forces of the society.
So
what’s in a name in the Philippine context?
Since
Philippine democracy is dysfunctional, it is always dominated by dynastico-personalist
politicians—power-holders whose aims and strategies are not consistent with the
common good. In this light, a name may signify decay or greatness depending on
the manner by which a person conducts himself or herself in public and private
spheres.
A
person’s name signifies decay when it contributes to the decline of the
civilization and the prevalence of deprivation and poverty. On the other hand,
it is synanymous to greatness when its holder does good things, whether big or
small, which help society to move towards greater freedom and prosperity.
A
name may mean the continuing control of a political clan over public power and
the society’s resources. It may also signify the subordination of public
interest to the interests of few families. It may stand for the dysfunctional
social and political systems that exclude people from the right to participate
in the charting of their own destinies. This is the content that certain names
may have acquired in the context of the Philippine society today.
On
the other hand, a person’s name may represent the resurgence of greatness. It
may spark the restlessness of many and trigger the movement for hope. It may
refer to the champion of people’s dreams and serves as inspiration for them to
dream some more.
Certain
incidents may catapult a person’s name to greatness, and thus, represents the
triumph of good over evil. For instance, a heroic death can make a certain name
popular and help others associated to it rise to power. Sometimes, altruistic
gestures may give a person’s name some claim to the memories of younger people.
An idol’s name, revered for the great feats that its holder may have
accomplished, would ring for decades before a reckless generation consigns it
to oblivion. These are only few instances when people become worthy of the
names that they have inherited from their forebears.
The
answer is obvious but difficult to say. We all know what it is but don’t want
to say it for fear of its consequences. And so, the question remains: what’s in
a name?
