Social Science 101

For days after Cory's death, I was glued to the TV watching the wake, interviews and news stories that came out on GMA's unconscionably extravagant dinner shortly after Cory's passing. It felt like the end of an era and it affected me more than I thought it would.

Little did I know that it would also present an opportunity to teach the kids about our country's not too distant past. I started with who Cory was, explaining that she once was the President of the Philippines. And because the documentaries showed pictures of Ninoy and his funeral procession, I also had to explain to the kids that Cory was Ninoy's wife, that Ninoy was killed by Marcos' soldiers, and that Marcos tried to cheat in the elections that led to people marching in the streets to protest giving rise to People Power.

It also led to these amusing exchanges -

B: What happened to Ninoy?

M: He was killed by Marcos' soldiers.

B: How?

M: He was shot.

B: Where?

M: In the airport where his airplane landed.

B: In Ninoy Aquino International Airport?!

_______

H: Is Marcos bad?

M: Yes... but he wasn't always bad. He was good, but he did not follow the rules (hoping that this could be a "teaching moment" for obedience which we are working on these days), until he forgot the rules, and then he did not know right from wrong.

H: Don't call him Marcos - call him "Bad"

B: Call him "Baddie"!

Weeks later, the boys were excitedly telling us how they would fight and punish the bad people. Until they turned to us and asked -

B: How are bad people made?

H: They also come from heaven (perhaps remembering my comment from a few weeks ago that bad people, even Marcos were born good).

B: No, the devil makes them in hell.

H: Is there snow in hell?

M: I don't know.

B: Marcos would know!

__________

And then when we were watching clips of Cory's speech before the US Congress, Baz noticed the US flag and asked me if she was the President of the Philippines or of the US. When I answered that she was the President of the Philippines, he asked "but why is there an American flag behind her?" I then told him that she delivered a speech before the US Congress. Of course, a flood of questions came:

B: What is Congress?

M: It's the body that makes laws.

B: What are laws?

M: Laws are rules made by the government.

B: What is the government?

I don't recall exactly how I answered or how this exchange ended. I distinctly remember thinking that his questions are not normally asked by 6-year olds, but Baz is not quite the ordinary 6-year old, and these weren't ordinary times.