HEROES are useful signposts in our history if you are a teacher. Students can easily identify with them, especially the established ones. But we have contentious personalities like Emilio Aguinaldo or even Ferdinand Marcos, with whom people see the need to either demonize or idealize. At one point in our history, in the 1960s, a time of radical ferment among the youth, José Rizal was also subjected to such debate, which is being continued now by some of our teachers in the mandated Rizal course. Very recently, I heard older historians remind us that although we should assess and judge our historical personalities based on the evidence, it is more useful to go beyond labeling them heroes and traitors, and look at their contributions to the story of the nation.