Sunday, August 02, 2009

In Memoriam: Corazon Aquino


I want to take a moment to honor one of the great heroes of the 20th Century, who passed away last week: President Corazon Aquino of the Philippines.

Cory Aquino was just a stay at home wife, whose husband was a powerful dissident politician, Senator Begnino Aquino. The two of them flew back to the Phillipines in 1983, even though they both knew there was a longstanding death order against him, ordered by the then-President Marcos. Before the Senator even reached the tarmac, he was shot in the face.

Corazon Aquino, taking a page from American history (the Emmitt Till murder) rallied the people to her husband's funeral, taking no steps whatwoever to hide what was done to him. The funeral rallied the anti-Marcos forces and, three years later, Cory Aquino ran for President of the Philippines. Although she officially lost the vote, Marcos's control was so weak that he fled the country, and she was inaugurated President in his place.

She eventually presided over the first non-corrupt Philippine administration in that nation's history. Although she was not without faults and made some bad calls herself as President, she left the nation she led far better than when she found it.

She was noted not only for her political activism but for her public witness of her Catholic faith.

She died on August 1st of cancer.

Corazon Aquino, we salute you. God bless you and grant you eternal life.

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Keep your meme clean. Thank you.