These authors are some of the people I idolized growing up. As a kid I was small, frail, and unathletic, and I preferred to stay indoors and read books and comics rather than play sports (that came much, much later, when I could actually hold my own physically at basketball [as a Filipino, you're expected to play basketball, no questions asked] against other boys [boys who were still bigger and stronger than me, but hey, at some point you have to try, right?]). In my room at my desk or in my bunk bed (or on jeepney rides, or concealed in a textbook inside the classroom) I read these authors' works and absorbed what they wrote, believed in what they believed, picked their brains through their writing, aspired to be some sort of writer like them someday. At a young age I chose a side early on, that of the artist vs. the loud and obnoxious and thieving, conniving politician; and I carried that until now, which is why I still loathe loud and obnoxious and thieving, conniving politicians (and -- worse -- those who work for them, leading to burned bridges with former friends, something I've regretted at first but later on came to understand was part of life if you simply choose to hold on to your principles).
So isn't it heartbreaking to hear that your childhood idols have supposedly done terrible things (or decided to NOT DO ANYTHING to stop terrible things from happening, especially to a loved one)? How can you reconcile the fact that these people that you looked up to are, when you think about it, just like those scumbags that you hated -- or probably worse?
Like I said, part of growing up is understanding that burning bridges -- with friends, or even family -- is normal if you are to hold on to your principles. And yes, this extends to your idols as well.
In this day and age where the endless pursuit of money, territory, and power (enabled by violence, genocide, wars, imperialism, artificial intelligence, and yes, those thieving politicians and businessmen) has hijacked everything we hold dear (that's what end-stage capitalism will do, folks), isn't clinging to your principles the least you can do to keep some semblance of humanity in this increasingly dehumanized world?
