Rizal without the overcoat

Jose Rizal's greatest misfortune was being acknowledged a National Hero of the Philippines. If he was not a hero, people would not bother with him and Filipinos would be spared all those annual floral offerings and those boring speeches on June 19 ad December 30. Rizal as National Hero has been given a peculiar dignity in stone and bronze which has set him apart from the common man. Rizal was perfect. Rizal was nationalistic. Rizal was intelligent. Rizal was a renaissance man, etc. In short Rizal is a rebuke to ordinary mortals like you and me.