Seares: Senators and inmates

YOU insult a person if you associate his behavior or trait with that of an "undesirable" character: the tongue of a fishmonger, manners of a wharf hand, or integrity of a jail inmate. You insult him but you also insult the person to whom he's compared.

Mar Roxas, who has pushed his political career by exploiting "trisikads" and public markets, said at a Cebu rally, the provincial jail would soon have more dancing jailbirds.

He and LP standard bearer Noynoy Aquino would send crooks there, hinting of NP bet Manny Villar and his allies who in their orange garb look like prisoners already.

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Villar was insulted. But, said One-Cebu-Party-mouthpiece Rory Jon Sepulveda, the inmates, "who have more dignity," were insulted too.

Both Mar and Rory Jon were stereotyping and neither is entirely right.

Not all senators cheat on their spouses and steal from the government. Not all detainees will slash another guy's throat for a bottle of gin. Presumption of innocence applies to a member of the Senate or the prison gang who still has to be convicted.

Power, money

But senators wield more power and more money to work on public image and personal look and, of course, not to get jailed themselves. The Cebu detainees had to dance their butts off just to be noticed beyond prison walls.

The Ferragamo-shod, Lacoste-clad senator beats the inmate anytime in appearance and, ah, dignity, despite the farce that people like Rory Jon see.

Mar wanted to reach local voters by using detainees to picture himself and buddy Noynoy as anti-corruption crusaders. He insulted foes and inmates--and voters' capacity to recognize crap from their politicians.

(paseares@yahoo.com)