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The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, from National Geographic

The other week I thought I’d take the emotional temperature of readers by floating an idea that was either brilliant or dopey (Of course the best ideas are both). I proposed the privately-funded construction of a massive towering monument that would symbolize the Philippines. Let’s call it the Colossus Project.

The rationale for this construction is analogous to the technique used by some actors to create their characters. They build the role from the outside in: they figure out how their character looks, what she wears, how she speaks, laughs, cries, the way she moves, etc. When the externals have been defined, they work on the emotional core. Maybe if we start with the monument, we will be forced to look at what’s inside ourselves.

It’s not an original idea. A friend reminds me that before the 1998 Centennial, there was a government proposal to build such a tower at the Luneta. It was shouted down by the media, probably for good reason.

And yes, there is an Albert Speer-ness about this, and more than a touch of megalomania, so let’s keep our sense of irony about us.

We received several reactions to the Colossus Project from our readers. Here are some of their letters, edited for length and vehemence.

Re:Construction in Emotional Weather Report, today in the Star.