Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Daughter of a Politician

No, I am not talking about a particular declamation piece here. I am talking about me, myself, and I. Yes, I am a daughter of a politician. But let me rephrase that, I was and perhaps would be a daughter of a politician again (my father did not win last election but planning to run again, that’s why).

DISCLAIMER: This is not neither a political propaganda nor a campaign piece.


Anyway, being a daughter of a politician is a combination of being fortunate and unfortunate. That sounds confusing, right? Well, I find it fortunate because of the popularity that you’ll get. The fact that your father was elected as a government official gives you a lot of privileges. Unfortunate though because of the criticisms you’d hear from almost every corner, also, the fact that you always have to do right or else, you might ruin the name of your father.

But nonetheless, everything was okay. I never really had any bad experience of being a politician’s daughter except the fact that there are just really some people that are hard to please. Anyway, I love being a politician’s daughter because I’ve learned how bad the situations of our poor constituents are, and that you’d learn to care for them along the way – as you get to know them. I love the fact that in one way or another, I realized how fortunate I am.

Though being a politician’s daughter requires a lot of things, I still love it. I love how busy we become whenever elections are coming. I love how we post election paraphernalia around the municipality, and giving out my father’s portfolio of achievements. Just for your information, believe me or not, it was only not during my father’s first time to run that we did give money (just to people who went to our home), after which, during the second and last term of my father as a municipal councilor, never did we vote buy again. Oh! But the cleanest election participation my father has ever gone through was last elections. He, not even a single centavo gave any, which apparently is the greatest factor why he lost. We have no enough machinery as well. Imagine, my father’s co-candidates gave 1000 and 800 pesos respectively while we gave nothing.

Anyway, being my father’s daughter allowed me to know the basics of how politics has become in our municipality, in our country. I was able to witness how dirty elections are. I was able to witness how cruel some people could be just to be in the position. I was able to see how other people can ruin their fellows’ reputation just to earn what they want, again, position in the government.

Also, I was able to learn how to deal with other people. How it is to talk to those underprivileged, and feel so blessed that you’re not suffering like the way they do. I was able to visualize how I could someday help my underprivileged fellows. I was able to recognize what the politicians should give importance to. I was able to realize how capable I am to make a difference someday. Oh wait! I am not planning to run – for now (hahaha).

Furthermore, more than the negativities that being a daughter of a politician could give, I always look forward to the positive side of it. After all, that’s what it should be, right? Actually, after everything has been said, the catch here is, being a daughter of a politician entitled me to know how it is to care and love your fellows especially those who are not as lucky as I am.

1 comment:

Random Student said...

That's the thing with democracy, Pam. Vote buying can only mean two major things: 1) the candidate is capable of using tools to entice votes and he/she is taking action and 2) the constituent can choose to a) receive the tool (money) and translate it into a vote OR b) receive the tool (money) and not translate it into a vote OR c) not receive the tool (money) at all. What's my point? Democracy in itself is just a tool as well in organizing a society, a country. As for being a daughter of a politician, if the culture permits the notion that a family is a vital unit of the people's collective consciousness, then what the parent does affects the offspring. This notion creates a relationship there that's vital also to having a social responsibility. It's the same with the concept of being a celebrity and not having a full private life. What I mean is, in our culture, society, and form of government being a daughter of a politician is automatically a special role.