Personal Response on Current Affairs

This is my sixth response to current affairs, which is on societal issues. The article was taken from The Straits Times, 3 August 2007. The author of the article is Aaron Low.



Off with the mask—come out and blog

Background

The article is talking about the writings of many bloggers, and how influential they can be. It also talks about the issue of anonymity in blogging, which many people take advantage of, for both good and bad purposes.


Response

With the recent new era of blogging, it is no surprise to see many of my friends take up this new “sport’. Many enjoy blogging about their everyday encounters, as well as their thoughts and ideas on things. However, we will often come across certain “junk posts”, fulfilling no purpose other than to insult people or to put people down, and often very easily.

Being a regular blogger myself, I understand the pros, as well as the cons of blogging. Blogging is not without its prices. If we do not practice discretion, and say whatever we want, it is certain that we will get ourselves into serious trouble. Just like in reality, when interacting with others, even if we feel very strongly about something or someone, we do not say it outright, because we know that the time is inappropriate. Similarly, it should hold the same for blogging. Blogging, after all, is merely a means of expressing your ideas online.

In the perspective of a blogger, we probably feel that we have every right to express our ideas and thoughts. After all, we have been granted individual liberty, so we should make full use of it. We blog on everything that comes to mind, be it complements or insults. Even for me, it is difficult at times to hold back what I want to say, and occasionally I do post certain things that are unpleasant to others. Nevertheless, certain comments would definitely cause conflicts to occur, sometimes with undesirable consequences. This has been proven from the few blogging incidents which resulted in students being expelled.

A likely reason why so many harmful comments have appeared online is because blogging offers a lot of anonymity. People enjoy this anonymity as they do not have to be accountable for their actions, and can blog without fear. However, this fearlessness is precisely the reason why so many harmful comments have been openly posted online. Astonishingly, even when caught, these bloggers do not admit to their posts at all.

If one has written something, why is he afraid to stand by it? It is his own work, and he should be prepared to support it. It is assumed, of course, that the bloggers have thought critically about what they are going to write before they actually do it. Thus we assume that they should be able to defend their own writings. However, many a time bloggers do not really think through their words, but merely comment on whatever comes to mind. Then, when they are caught, they do not admit to what they write, because they did not really think through their own arguments, and thus it would not seem wise to support such an argument.

The best way to solve this problem would be to reveal our real identities. Only then will we write seriously, with facts to back it up. When the need arises, we can defend our arguments without fear. In the end, discretion is the most important tool in communication.

Personal Response to Current Affairs

This is my fifth response to current affairs, which is on issues regarding teenagers. The article was taken from The Straits Times, 1 August 2007. The author of the article is Elena Chong.



Student stabbed youth in break-in attempt

Background

The article talks about a Seconday Four student, Syafiq Hussin who had attempted housebreaking and theft, as well as severely injuring a resident of the house. According to the article, Syafiq attempted to theft to get money to feed his online gaming addiction after his parents had refused him money. He had regretted his decision to resort to crime.


Response

Syafiq has committed many crimes since the start of his gaming addiction. The severity of the problem is not to be underestimated, as it can lead to terrible consequences. The fact that Syafiq could even resort to theft, as well as stabbing the occupant of the house resulting in life-threatening injuries, shows that his addiction has led him to become so fearless that even committing these major crimes means nothing compared to him. Furthermore, he actually relates his theft attempt to his gaming experiences, saying that he got a kick out of doing it! Syafiq’s liking for games involving weapons and fighting has apparently influenced his thinking to a certain extent. His obsession with online games has made him oblivious to any consequences of these crimes, with only the aim of getting money to buy accessories and the like for his games in his mind. He admits that due to a mere moment’s folly, he had wasted his future and is now in remorse.

This problem has not been a first. Reports of teenagers robbing, stealing or housebreaking to take money are common. It is an indication of the severity of this problem that cannot be ignored. Not only are teenagers putting disregard for the laws, they are also being heavily influenced by these games. For a mere game, they can rob, steal, and possibly even kill. The psychology of teens nowadays seems to be that committing crimes is all right, as long as they are not caught, and they achieve their aim—in the case of this article, to get money. This wrong psychology is extremely harmful and damaging to society. How will these people, with their wrong frame of mind, possibly be able to lead the country in the future?

From any elder’s point of view, these actions are surely not condoned as they are extremely immoral as well as foolish. Stealing, robbing and injuring people are definitely not methods that anyone would define as moral.

However, from the teenager’s point of view, things are very different. They view it as something justifiable, and something that others can empathise with, and understand their rationale for their actions. It is possible that teenagers do so much to maintain their game status, because the game allows them to forget about their academics and their worries, allowing them to escape from the harshness of the real world, and giving them immense pleasure. Thus, they feel that in sustaining it, they have something to look forward to in the otherwise boring, and seemingly meaningless life.

Though this rationale appears innocent and harmless, but the methods the teenagers employ to achieve it are definitely not. I can relate well to his thoughts and reasoning, being a relatively avid gamer myself, and having experienced the pleasures of gaming personally. However, I do not think that supporting one’s gaming addiction can ever be sufficient to justify one’s committing serious crimes. Whatever the reason, committing crimes is never and will never be correct.

Personal Response to Current Affairs

This is my fourth personal response to current affairs, which is on educational issues. This article was taken from The Straits Times, 11 May 2007. The author of the article is Ho Ai Li.

Talented pupils get bigger chance at direct entry to Sec 1

The article talks about how more schools have also taken part in the Direct School Admission scheme, also known as DSA. The DSA promotes holistic education and give schools more flexibility as to the kind of students it can take in. Students who are not so strong in their academics can still go to top schools and enjoy the top-grade education provided there.

However, while the DSA does seem to provide many benefits for the less intellectually-inclined students, we must also think about the disadvantages that it could bring about.

We must ask ourselves; by enrolling these not so academically strong students in a very academic-emphasised school, would these students be able to cope with the rigorous and challenging curriculum? From my own experience and also from news reports, I have seen many of these DSA students doing badly in their schools tests and ending up with unsatisfactory results. If students cannot cope with this kind of rigorous curriculum, what is the point of the DSA?

An example from the article states that St Hilda’s helps DSA students revise for four hours after school during the exam period. Though this would probably be helpful to the students, it inevitably means that they are moving at a relatively slower pace than most of the others in the cohort, and would most likely be disadvantaged.

Given such reasons, why should less academically inclined pupils still try for the DSA?

Well, a top school would be more likely to have better sports or arts facilities to develop the student’s potential to its maximum. This might seem like a plus point for the student to go for DSA.

A factor is probably because of the influence from parents. Most parents put academic education and results as first priority for the children, and thus use DSA as a chance for their children to “squeeze into” a top school.

If the students become unable to cope, this would only have a detrimental effect on them. Parents should consult the children, and discuss whether it is really appropriate to let their children go for the DSA. After all, the children know themselves best, and can judge whether they are really able to handle such a rigorous curriculum.

As a student, I would definitely think that DSA is not a good thing for us. The mere talent in an area of say, sports does not mean that I have the same high ability in academic areas. My studies would inevitably be sacrificed. This gets me scolded more often by my parents for the poor results. Thus, I might not want to face such a rigorous curriculum, as I would not be able to cope with it, and would face tremendous stress and pressure.

Therefore, I think that as parents, they should always consult the children before making such important and significant decisions. After all, it is for the good of the children that they want to enrol them into DSA, and thus the children’s opinions are always important.

Personal Response to Current Affairs

This is my third personal response to current affairs, which is on political issues. This article was taken from the BBC online news, 12 Feb 2007. The website URL is http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6353633.stm.

Indonesia bans sand to Singapore (Political issues)

According to the article, Indonesia has imposed a ban on sand exports to Singapore, on the basis protecting Indonesia’s coastal environments. However, Singapore newspapers reported that the real cause was to give a signal to Singapore that it should quickly agree to an extradition treaty and resolve issues related to border demarcations, and a defence pact. This is significant as Singapore, which exports mammoth amounts of sand from Indonesia, will have its industries suffering if the problem is not resolved.

The different views on the reason behind Indonesia’s sand ban is something for us to think about.

On Indonesia’s perspective, it is a move worthy of applause as they have begun to take steps in ensuring the natural environment’s continuity. It is also true that the sand-mined coasts of Indonesia have been disturbed and damaged. Therefore it is not unreasonable that they want to stop these sand-mining activities in order to save the environment. Even so, a blanket ban on sand exports is still too exaggerated. The ban may come to anger Singapore to stop its business and trade relations with Indonesia, which is ultimately detrimental to Indonesia. Furthermore, by banning sand exports like how log exports were banned, there would also be those illegal industries who will mine sand on the sly, thereby defeating the purpose of the ban.

On Singapore’s perspective, we inevitably will think that this is an underhanded resort by Indonesia to pressure us to agree to these deals mentioned earlier. It is true though, that if Singapore had agreed to the extradition treaty, Singapore faces the possibility of losing the trust of Indonesians, as they would just follow Indonesia’s instructions and send the supposed fugitives back to Indonesia, without actually being able to determine whether these people have really committed crimes. Therefore Singapore would think that Indonesia has banned the sand export to coerce Singapore into agreeing to sign the treaty.

I personally feel that Indonesia is using “underhanded” methods to achieve their aims. The way I see it, the sand ban is extremely detrimental to Singapore. Construction costs have skyrocketed, and if the sand ban persists, the increased price of the building materials used may even affect me when I grow up.

Commenting as a mere member of the public, I think that there are many unseen factors that have lead to the current situation. Thus, my judgement of the situation will very likely be inaccurate. Many political factors are unknown to us, and I would tend to side with the Singapore government, since ultimately the government’s decisions are mostly for the benefit of the citizens.

From this article, I have learnt that we should always look at a problem from every possible perspective, as there is never really only one “correct” view. Thus, we should analyse each view carefully, and come to a consensus as to what kind of an opinion we should accept, because only when we are willing to accept all possible information will the big picture come into light.

Personal Response to Current Affairs

This is my second personal response to current affairs, which is on issues regarding teenagers. This article was taken from the Straits Times on February 16, 2007. The write of this article is Yap Su Yin.

Youth gambling: Nipping it in the bud

This articles talks about the importance of rooting out youth gambling, and also explores some of the interactive initiatives aimed at young potential gamblers. All teenagers, exposed to many gambling behaviours, are prone to becoming gamblers themselves in later life. It is alarming to me how often teenagers like to bet with one another in our current society. It is scary to know that I also could become a gambler if I am not aware of gambling issues.

Many teenagers develop potential gambling habits early. Parents do not emphasise the importance of not gambling that much on children, thus the children do not realise how serious the consequences of gambling can get. They start risk behaviours early, betting small amounts of money with one another on unimportant outcomes. Sometimes, these children will deny the bet and refuse to pay the other. Over time this kind of behaviour can become a habit. However, it is apparent that this kind of behaviour would not be tolerated in the real society. A worse scenario is when you gamble without thinking and land in heavy debts, threatening you and even your family life.

Though schools have given education on the consequences of gambling, the lecture format of informing the students turns them off. Undoubtedly, lectures are boring and uninteresting, leaving them disinterested and turned off. Most teenagers nowadays prefer more modern and “cool” ways of informing people, such as videos. Youths are an important group to inform on problem gambling as they are one of the groups most prone to become gamblers. This is very true as studies have shown that many Singaporeans became gamblers at a teen age. Thus, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has come up with new interactive methods to get anti-gambling messages across to teenagers.

One of these methods is a schools roadshow, which has mobile exhibits as well as interactive, educational games about problem gambling. Another method involves screening a short film depicting gambling issues, and followed up by getting youths to discuss the issues raised. Films and games are helpful, as these interactive methods will get the necessary message across to the teenagers more effectively than a mere talk or lecture. The discussions also help teenagers to think more critically about these gambling issues, making them realise the many pitfalls of problem gambling.

To understand this article, I need to know what attracts teenagers and what does not in order to understand the rationale in organising these interactive events. However, as I am also a teenager, I tend to think little of potential gambling behaviours that even I occasionally demonstrate. Thus it is harder for me to understand why these organisations are making such a big fuss out of young potential gamblers. However, I have learnt that I should never treat gambling problems lightly, and should do my best to get rid of them should I ever show the potential. If there is a problem, no matter how small, it should be gotten rid of immediately.

Personal Response to Current Affairs

This is my first personal response to current affairs, which is on societal issues. This article was taken from The Straits Times on February 11, 2007. The writer of this article is Sarah Ng.


Excuses aplenty from litterbugs


Recently, cases of littering in Singapore have been rising over the past years. The author is trying to show that there are many litterbugs in Singapore, yet will go to great lengths to escape a fine if confronted by an NEA officer. This article makes one wonder why litterbugs are so desperate to escape fines, yet continue to litter. The growing number of litterbugs is indeed a worrying situation for all Singaporeans, as more litterbugs would mean more litter in our country, and that is surely not a good sign.

There are many types of littering offenders that are found in Singapore. When caught by NEA officers, some of them will try pleading for their case with incredible excuses such as litter that just happened to fall from their hands. Others might turn verbally abusive, even challenging the officers by not giving them their particulars on purpose. However, the offenders are usually cooperative as they know the severity of not cooperating with the officers—the police can be called in. Some even try to escape this by running from the NEA officers, dashing across roads and risking their lives. It is great wonder why they would risk their lives just to escape the fine, but do not dare to accept the fine.

As in the article, the Sunday Times did its own checks, and found that almost all who were found to be guilty of littering had a ready excuse at hand. Of course, it is true that some of these people’s excuses are real, but most of them are apparently faking it. Most merely want to avoid a fine. Thus it appears that most people litter, not because they do not know the law, or that they littered by accident, but on purpose. They just feel lazy to walk to a bin to throw their litter, stating it as being “too troublesome”. They will also try to escape a fine as much as possible. This is understandable as they would not want to lose money just for littering, a seemingly small issue.

As I am still a teenager, the education from schools about not littering has made me refrain from littering, and also made me treat litterbugs with discontent. As I do not know the exact reasons of littering, I would tend to treat most excuses of litterbugs to be false. However, it is difficult to tell who is lying and who is not in these situations. This tells me that when analysing any situation, we should not jump to conclusions, but look at the situation thoroughly first.

Ultimately, it is not the officials that keep Singapore as a clean city, it is the people that do. Singaporeans have the biggest role to play in ensuring the country’s cleanliness. Not only would Singapore be dirty and unsightly if the littering problems were to ensue, even public health would be at stake.

Thus, for the sake of everyone, we should all do our part to minimise our own littering.