José Rizal

José Rizalhttps://www.cprmfm.com      The immense Spanish Regime towered over the islands of the Philippines and oppressed the island natives, but one man had enough and stood up for his people. This man's name was José Rizal, a Filipino revolutionary who played a key role in fighting for civil rights for the Filipino people. Born in Calamba of the Laguna Province, José Rizal saw the injustice that the Filipinos suffered through. He worked hard to finish his education, going as far as to study abroad. After he finished his studies he came back to the same cruelty that the Filipinos were treated with years prior by the Spanish. He became an activist as a result of his desire to oppose the Spanish government. His kind heart won over many Filipinos to follow his cause and his competence as a public speaker made him popular. José brought a new era for the Filipino people. His ability to inspire others and his compassion for his people made him a national hero.

José Quotehttp://www.azquotes.com       José inspired and unified the Filipino people with his aptitude to motivate and inspire others. José did not want to be a spectator and witness what the Spanish would do to his nation, instead he joined associations to speak out against the Spanish and he shared his opinions on civil rights. “José Rizal became a part of the Propaganda Movement, connecting him with other Filipinos who wanted reform...” (Biography.com). José did not play passively in the movement. He united with other Filipino activists who wanted change and together they spread the idea of  equality. In joining this movement he inspired his fellow Filipinos to take nonviolent action against the Spanish. His words awakened new ideas throughout the Philippines. This illustrated how José possessed heroism in a time of crisis. Furthermore, besides public speaking José also wrote books that criticized the Spanish Government, “Because Rizal satirized the ruling friar caste and severely criticized the iniquitous social structure in the Philippines, his book was banned and its readers punished” ("José Rizal." Encyclopedia). José wrote these books to expose the flaws in Spanish government. He wanted to enlighten the inhabitants of the Philippines of the injustice they faced. His books became so wildly popular that the Spanish had to ban them because it revealed their tyranny. His skilled writing inspired many Filipinos to join the movement. This displayed how José’s words inspired his people to fight back against their oppressors. His incredible talent for writing and his ability to inspire allowed him to unify the Filipino people and caused them to follow one cause. José’s inspiring movement touched many Filipinos and his kind heart sympathized for the nation.

José Rizal Arthttps://www.bayaniart.com      José’s passion for the well-being of his people enabled him to gain their trust and create a new era for the Philippines. José saw the strain, stress, and struggle his people endured by the hands of the Spanish, so he called out their government for their ignorance to the rights of the Filipino people, “He called for equal treatment of Filipinos, limiting the power of the Spanish friars and representation for the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes” (Biography.com). The inequality the Filipinos faced on their own land made José furious. José cared so much for his nation that he rose up from the shadows and became a symbol for his people. He desired to achieve equality for his people. He wanted his people to take their culture and their rights back. His kind heart and caring personality are the reasons why he stood up for the Philippines and what illustrated him as a hero. In addition, rather than just exposing the Spanish Government’s flaws he also asked his people to change for their own good. “Only love can work wonders,only virtue can redeem.... What is the use of independence if the slaves of today will be the tyrants  of tomorrow?” (Bonoan, Raul J. "José Rizal, Liberator of the Philippines). José revealed how Spain’s tyranny ruined the Filipino culture and he knew that only nonviolence can fix their problems. Only peaceful protest could have made positive change. José knew it was the most beneficial for the Filipino people. He realized that if the Filipinos had no guidance or mindset it would lead to another downfall of the Philippines. He acknowledge that only through unity that the Philippines would prosper. These thoughts demonstrated why José’s kind-hearted personality made him a hero. José’s compassion for his country made him beloved by the Filipino people. His impact on the Philippines made him a national hero and an inspiration.

To conclude, José Rizal changed the Philippines and forever engraved his legacy on this Earth through his ability to inspire  and his compassion for others. José questioned the Spanish tyranny and caused a movement that forever altered the history of the Philippines. His campaign made the Filipinos more aware of their rights and caused them to demand for equality. He taught the Filipinos how to be nonviolent and mindful. José stood up for what was right and reasonable. Despite the overwhelming odds that stacked up against him, José managed to bust out the courage to be the beacon of light the Filipinos needed in their time of crisis. In a time where there was supposed to be no heroes he came out of the shadows and rose up. His actions and words still affected the Filipinos and the Philippines even up to this day. His legacy has and will still inspire people throughout the world forever.

                                                       Works Cited

Bonoan, Raul J. "José Rizal, Liberator of the Philippines. (Cover Story)." America, vol. 175, no.

18, 07 Dec. 1996, pp. 18-21.EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9701211817&site=ehost-live.

“José Rizal.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014,

www.biography.com/people/José-rizal-39486.

"José Rizal." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Biography In Context,

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631005590/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=b22

39cd9. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018.