Memoirs of an Amnesiac

"You're nothing but a second-rate trying-hard copycat!"

Who would have forgotten this famous line that Lavinia (played by Cherie Gil) said to Dorina (Sharon Cuneta) in that movie and serialized comic strip, Bituing Walang Ningning while she pours her glass of wine on her face?

The word copycat may have originated from observing the habits of kittens that learned by imitating the behaviors of their mothers. It has been in recorded use since at least 1896 (http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Copycat). It is a person who copies another person's behavior, dress or ideas.

It is no question that writers inspire each other. I have had many writers that have given me inspiration to write. What one person cannot express in a word, another can say it in a much deeper level than the other. Our manner of expression varies as do our experiences. Because of the enormity and perhaps, vastness of our ideas, sometimes it is difficult to even embody those ideas into words. That is why we search for inspiration from fellow writers who have been successful in "serenading their muses."

But what happens when you are not a writer? Where do you gain or in this case seek for a better way to express your ideas? Should one copy?

Yes, it can be possible but there is that word citation that needs to be emphasized. One needs to cite the owners and authors of such ideas so much so that he/she does not take credit for a work that he/she has not even sweated for. One could also use the expression, "according to."

Sure there are lots of written works either printed or published online and one person can just get away by copying them and then owning them. But we must remember that in this modern age of fast searches and indexing, it is possible that one could be traced. It is embarrassing to note that you have been lauded for something "stolen."

Such was the case of Senator Tito Sotto's plagiarism fiasco. He had been consequently denying that he had copied (word for word)Ms. Sarah Pope's blog post written on February 23, 2011 on "How A Pill Can Harm Your Future Child's Health." When interviewed recently, he claims that he had not copied Pope's blog but that they had the same source, Natasha Campbell-McBride. Talk about stealing and being caught offhand and as an aftermath, aims the blame on others. Whether he and Ms. Pope copied McBride's, it is still considered stealing. This had caused a cacophony among the bloggers and writers in the world wide web, as such act may have added another feather to our notoriety cap as Filipinos. Such an embarrassment, coming from our very own senator at that! Although his lawyer already posted a reply of apology to Pope, still he has not learned from what happened.

He did not stop from there. His recent "turno en contra" speech against the RH bill last Wednesday was allegedly copied from Robert Kennedy Jr.'s speech and translated into Tagalog. When he was confronted about it, he quickly dismissed the charge by saying, "Marunong ba mag-Tagalog si Kennedy?" (Does Kennedy know how to speak Tagalog?)

Sigh. Who is he fooling? I feel like watching another Bituing Walang Ningning rerun.