My Response to Mayor Binay's Letter

Dear Hon. Mayor Binay:

Thank you for your January 9 letter. It had touched a cord in my heart and it lighted my day.

I agree with you Mayor that there are more good citizens belonging to the silent majority than those who are noisiest and most visible in our country. Only that they should overcome their timidity and have the spirit to express their thoughts and redress their grievances. If the majority chooses to keep silent amidst the troubles in our country which are not of their making, it is almost like saying that they silently condone them. In political philosophy we call this pluralistic ignorance. This is so when the majority is unspeaking because their understanding and stand on national issues are not clear to them. That is why the noisiest and most visible in our country interpret this as consensus among the majority. That is an erroneous view. There is no doubt but that is a plain “false consensus.”

I belong to the silent majority myself but I am resolved to learn how to become a good citizen. Like you Mayor I am also learning to become courageous and vigilant.

To my friends and relatives who speak kindly of me as getting famous because of the article I wrote had been blogged and reblogged, I say thank you. But as a member of the silent majority I prefer to remain poor and obscure.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,


regie