WHEN CALLED OUT, I RESPOND

Got to read Father Amado Picardal's blog on how he didn't like Manny Pacquiao's recent "masterpiece" win over David Diaz because it was "too brutal." Naturally, I gave him my two-cents worth a piece of my mind so to speak (Last time I checked, we're a democracy, right?). Then, the 6th person who commented on Father Picardal's blog called me out, accused me of "having little or no known understanding of reality..." Here's what he (or she) had to say (Pardon the grammar and the breakless construction of the whole thing because I copy-pasted it as is.):
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In this time we see how naive filipinos can be... i agree with your opinion father picardal.. i am not a fan of boxing neither do i want it not to be part of society. But in reality we need heroes but not the likes of pacquiao. We need heroes who can make a change in our country. People who are taking the argument on "The church have done more sins than pacquiao" just have little or no known understanding of reality. What can pacquiao do for this country? When everyone wants to live and work abroad? Where there are hungry people on the streets, rebellion in our own soil, graft and corruption in our government. And for the record boxing or other forms of contact sport are all brutal and can be and will always be compared to gladiatorial combat.How? First of all gladitorial combat is a sport in the roman time with a different set of rules. Second, Well people will never get out of that reality because it is in our genes. We are all genetically born with the innate thirst to kill. That is why we are on top of the food chain. We are not herbivores or carnivores, we are omnivores. Just a little science 101 before people reading this blog gets again on the argument "why compare gladiatorial combat to boxing". We are all entitled to have our own opinion, and Father picardal's opinion is something we can praise not criticize. At least We can say that there are still filipinos who are aware on what is happening in this country. Those are the filipinos that are worth calling heroes. Why call Father Picardal "papansin, stupid, KSP, crab mentality and those stuffs", havent your parents teach you how to show respect, and for God's sake it is a priest that you people are talking to. If Father Picardal's opinion is not aligned with what you see on pacquiao's win. At least show some respect, you can still voice out your criticism in a very constructive way. Havent you guys even thought that all this publicity all falls down to profit and popularity. Ratings and Politics. Call this pathetic patriotism or whatever you may call it. But please read between the lines and show some respect.
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Of course, I felt compelled to write a rejoinder, a riposte:

Obviously, you are just as naïve… Boxing has been, still is, and will, for a long time be a part of society because (1) it is a great, appealing sport for many, and (2) just to use your argument, “We are all genetically born with the innate thirst to kill…” If you do not want it to be part of society, why not start a crusade against it? Why even dignify it with a comment such as the one you posted?

For you to accuse me as having little or no known understanding of reality is preposterous… Reread my comment. Here, verbatim, were my words: “the ‘sins’ of boxing are far less than the sins of the catholic church…” (I find it rather amusing that you distort a quote to befit your argument). I say this because I am in touch with reality and I understand it perfectly. The reality I am pointing out is this: the Catholic Church today is plagued by issues, controversies, and transgressions that are far worse and wicked than the brutality of boxing. If you look at the tapestry of history, the Roman Catholic Church has had a far darker, shadier past than the sport of boxing. Here are two examples: (1) Less than a hundred have died in the sport of boxing; tens of thousands died during the Inquisition alone. (2) Castillo-Coralles I was brutal as brutal can be, and so was Pacquiao’s evisceration of Diaz, but not as brutal (mentally, spiritually, and emotionally) as the many documented cases of sexual abuse by priests around the world.

I agree with your argument that we need heroes, but whether you like it or not, Pacquiao is a hero to many Filipinos. Maybe he doesn’t qualify as a hero in your book, but for many, he does. Now, I am not really a big fan of Pacquiao (I respect him, but he is not my hero.), but we should give credit to where credit is due. He does embody a lot of the qualities that we Filipinos should possess: courage, will, determination, hard work, patience, perseverance, and tenacity. If we, Filipinos, possess those same qualities, maybe—just maybe--we’d be better off now. But to castigate Pacquaio simply because he shows such traits in a “brutal” sport is unfair. Maybe if you knew his roots and how he started, you'd have a far better appreciation of Pacquaio as a person and as a (possibly) role-model.

I also noticed how you asked, “What can Pacquiao do for this country?” Why, what have YOU done for this country? Or for that matter, what have WE done for this country? I am humble enough to admit that I have not done much for this country—donations here and there, volunteer work every now and then. At least Manny Pacquiao brought pride, honor, and glory to the Philippines. He has also helped a lot of people in General Santos City. How about US, what have WE done? How about YOU? How about FATHER PICARDEL?

Moving on gladitorial combat is not a sport (as far as my research goes). It was a public spectacle, a form of entertainment meant to quench the “innate thirst to kill” of humans as you so eloquently put it (as evidence, gladiator matches sometimes featured man vs. beast). Second, gladiatorial combat didn’t have a “different set of rules.” It only had one rule: to defeat your opponent no matter what the cost. Third, most gladiators were unfree men meaning, they had no choice, no freedom. They had to partake in such spectacles because they were forced to do so. What I don’t get is you saying someone has “little or no known understanding of reality,” or that someone hasn’t done anything for this country. You talk about respect yet you accuse people of having little or no understanding about reality. You talk about people being entitled to their own opinion yet you indict those who don’t agree with you by calling them naïve, disrespectful, and unaware.

Anyhow, I believe you consider yourself a HERO, based on your concluding statement that “at least we can say that there are still Filipinos who are aware on what is happening in this country. Those are the Filipinos that are worth calling heroes.” I guess you are one of those select, privileged, omnipotent few who are aware of what is happening in this country, so I salute you.

Lastly, please reread my comment and see if I, in any way, disrespected Father Picardal. He voiced his opinion, and I voiced mine the same way you have voiced your own opinion. I am glad that you voiced your opinion, and I respect them. In fact, I even agree with some of your points. The fact that you have singled me out is also a welcome development because at least, I know I struck a chord with my perspectives and arguments.