BACOLOD CITY — It was very educational listening to my friend Vic Mercado in his program over Radio DYRL “Mercado Publico.”

Vic discussed a beautiful book, “Gone With The Wind” which has become a literary classic, authored by Margaret Mitchell in 1936 that sold a million copies in a few years and when made into a movie was a top grosser, beaten only after the War by the “Ten Commandments.”

It tells the story of two star-crossed lovers Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara, played by two outstanding movie idols of the time, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.

The movie was first shown in 1939 but until after the War when both Vic and I were in school in the 50s, the movie was still popular.

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Vic talked about “Gone With The Wind” when he discussed the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance whose members belong to rich families in Bacolod but did not mention a single name, fighting Mayor Bing Leonardia and the city administration that included Councilor Bobby Rojas, the one in-charge of solving the flooding in the city.

Vic said Bing also came from a wealthy Ramos family and Bobby from a Montilla and Rojas clan.

Vic Mercado must have been a very strong Barack Obama follower because he was speaking of the need for change, the war cry that propelled an American black to the U.S. presidency.

Vic drew similarity between the economy of Atlanta, Georgia and of Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Atlanta the setting of “Gone With The Wind” with its plantation economy and Bacolod and Negros Occidental during the heyday of the sugar industry, also making Negros another plantation economy.

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Scarlett O’Hara lost her estate, Tara, we called it “Hacienda” here. The Civil War of 1860s, the scene of the story, wrought destruction as Atlanta suffered the most from the Union forces.

With the victory of the Union, too, and the Emancipation Act of President Abraham Lincoln, the Negro slaves were freed. As I said and Vic Mercado said so, there are similarities between Negros Occidental and Georgia. The sugar industry also lost its sacadas, migrant workers from outside Negros.

I have not read again the book lately but Vic must have read Mitchell’s description of the different characters of the plantation economy of Atlanta where they were producing, not sugar but cotton.

I suggest that members of the Anti-Baha Alliance read the book too and find whose character fits who.

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Truly, the landed gentry of the plantation economy was throwing their weight around. It’s good Vic Mercado did not mention the flooding in Atlanta and the dumpsite in its environs. Vic is an old hand in media and he is very subtle in asking what the Anti-Baha Alliance was doing in Brgy. Felisa when there is no flooding there.

It’s no longer anti-baha. It looks like it is now anti-Bing. The Anti-Baha people, after drawing the line, better change the name of the Alliance to Anti-Bing. After all they wrote a letter to the Mayor, distributed leaflets, denounced the dispersal of the barricade at Brgy. Felisa and, in response, the Mayor wrote an answer, a copy of which was given to me at home the other day.

The Anti Bing Alliance demanded from the Mayor an apology for dispersing the barricade at Brgy. Felisa. Personally, I believe that barricade was illegal. If it was legal they should have continued and did not disperse.

If he did not do that, what is Leonardia Mayor for? He would just strengthen the accusation that he is weak. And, in his letter to the Alliance, he asked that it should be the Alliance members who should ask for an apology.

Now, City Hall is fighting back. This will become more interesting. Vic Mercado said, today planters who used to own big tracts of haciendas, must realize, it’s now all gone with the wind.

But, Vic when the movie ended, Rhett held a handful of soil and said, as long as we have this, there is still the future. True, if not carried by the flood.

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Radio is the best medium to educate our masses. I hope Vic also read Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” and Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” They tell the stories of war and how society and the outlook and values of the people were changed.

“War and Peace” is a story of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and “A Tale of Two Cities” is a story of the French Revolution.

This is our job, Vic, educate our listeners and readers on the beautiful literature of the ages. It is sad that our young are not encouraged to read good books.

One Response to “Lessons from literary classics”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  November 8th, 2008 01:48

  Lessons to learn from American Politics: After Americans casted their votes and the new president -elect was proclaimed, the sun shines the next morning and we all go back to work-business as usual. Now all Americans expect results. This new president -elect has enormous challenges facing him which is unprecendeted from his predecessors: The nation is in severe economic crisis. The nation is at war. And, America is challenged her enemy abroad. The pressure is on early for President-Elect Obama. He was brief early for national security by DNI and an urgency to organize his Staff early. He will be under the microscope and put in a litmus test by the American people. What say you, Juan de la Cruz? I encourage all Filipinos to read the book written by Judge Jose Apostol entitled: Where are you going, Philippines? This book is in the service of the nation (in turmoil) for 2 reasons: It tackles the Principal problems of your country; and, it is not only honestly critical in facing reality, but offer real solutions. GOOD LUCK.

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