Category Archives: Human Rights

01/12/09

The Pretext of Discrimination

Through a selective reality you perceive.
The world in hues of colour,
Not shades of grey,
But you make it black and white.

Foist not your beliefs on others,
Nor dictate morality by your dictionary.
Irony, plain irony;
You contradict with your actions.

Allow the varied colours to soar,
Unrestricted by repression,
Free from shades of grey,
Live, and let live…

Logen L.

Many people are giving the pretext of religion to repress the rights of gay people. There are others fearing for their insecure manhood because of gay people.

At the same time, racial prejudices are arising also out of the pretext of religion.

One can claim that religion seeks peace. I agree. Yet the followers of certain religions rob the rights of fellow human beings in the name of god…

Logen L.

08/25/08

Labels Are For Soup Cans, Not People

I am utterly perplexed by how people love to judge and label others, based on the little they know. While it is part and parcel of life to make surmises, why do so many take these stereotypes to be absolute, and unchangable.

Let me state my view. Evil is spawned from ignorance. Ignorance in the case of stereotyping people, is the laziness to use one’s brain and effort to know another person for what he/she is worth. And this kind of laziness, reflects very badly on a person’s intelligence.

Can you attest that misunderstandings between two parties occur despite full understanding of each other’s aims? Of course not!

I’m tired of hearing racial stereotypes against Bangladeshi workers and the Malay community. I’m sick of homophobic slurs against gay people. I’m disgusted by how some people can conveniently slap another person with a label.

The worst thing about a label is the prejudice attached. Do we pride ourselves in sowing discord and causing hurts? Has history not revealed the consequences of mild discrimination, which snowballed into genocide.

Everyone should be given some form of respect despite their race, religion and sexual orientation. And the mistakes of some bad apples does not make the rest of the community liable for those mistakes.

I’m confident that my entry about this issue is like pissing in the wind. The piss is bound to be blown back to my face…

So be it. At the very least, my voice will be heard.

Logen L.

04/5/08

Stupid Bangla Is Racist

More and more people are using the word ‘Bangla’ in a derogatory and racist sense. And it disgusts me.

The word ‘Bangla’ refers to a language native to Bangladesh and West Bengal. It is accepted also as a term to refer to the people of Bangladesh.

However, in Singapore where we import labour, ‘Bangla’ characterises construction workers who may or may not even come from Bangladesh. It has a hidden meaning behind it, which people are ignorant of.

Through the countless racist jokes and stereotypes, the workers in question, have been associated with the qualities of being dim-witted, perverted, smelly, illegal and inferior. I must add that there are some workers who fit this stereotype, but to use a word that associates those qualities with their skin colour is just wrong. Everyone should be treated with respect and should not be judged by their race.

Imagine going abroad to work. There is the language and culture barrier to get used to. Does it make you dim-witted for being inept in speaking another language? If you are a construction worker, wouldn’t you sweat and consequently smell? Because of these things, is it fair for people of another society to judge people like you as outcasts.

Consider this, commonly used by people:

Stupid Bangla!

Seems innocent, doesn’t it. But what if it was ‘Stupid Chinese’, ‘Stupid Malay’ or ‘Stupid Indian’ (replace Bangla with your own race)? Wouldn’t this be an insult directed to the person’s race.

This word has not only been indiscriminately used to describe any dark-skinned construction worker, some have used it on Indians to insult them. And who’s to say this racist sentiment won’t be spread due to popularity?

Now, I’m not one for political correctness. I’m not saying when we talk about a person’s race we should say: ‘I have this friend who is of China origin but she was born in Singapore. Her grandparents migrated, you see. That was a century ago.’.

That would be plain stupid. If you’re going to mention race, just say it.

There was this Bangla worker who pissed me off today. He dropped the rusty steel reinforcements through my foot, which kept me rooted on the ground for five hours. Bloody fucker!

That would have been fine because you have not made the issue about his race. The use of the italicised word clearly implies a worker from Bangladesh.

My whole point is, do not use a word or insult that targets a person’s racial traits. It is a gutless and brainless thing to do. Lastly, we ought to treat people with more compassion and understanding of their situation, not bully them for being a minority!

Logen L.

03/24/08

Racist Propaganda

If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.  -Adolf Hitler

Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.  -Adolf Hitler

Hitler may be a bastard but having read many of his quotes, they make sense. This entry is one that touches on a brief aspect of racist propaganda.

It is racist to act on a predisposition about a person based on his/her race. But! isn’t it worse when you spread the stereotype around.

This isn’t just innocent gossip. It is propaganda! The truth is merely a person’s perception of reality. Therein lies the power of propaganda because propaganda seeks to exploit this, a person’s view of reality.

Remember the last time when a baseless rumour was spread around. As more people repeated it, more people believed it to be true. People tend to believe in things that are believed by the majority because after all, the mentality is “how can so many people be wrong”.

An idiot spews nonsense and is believed by some idiots; those idiots spew the same nonsense and is believed by more idiots; once a substantial number of idiots believe in nonsense, those people who were unaffected will also become idiots just because many of their counterparts believe in nonsense.

The solution to this spreading of racist predisposition is obvious. Use your brains to reason if the racist mentality makes sense before you pass it on in conversation. After all, the power of knowledge is the only power that can resist propaganda.

It is similar to sending your friends stupid chain emails. On thinking about it, this is a bad analogy because I have idiots who send me chain mail, asking me to forward the email or be killed by a killer clown. Obviously and sadly, not many people use their brains much.

Logen L.

02/27/08

Peace Exist Only In Dreams

Sometimes I watch the news, and at other times chance upon information. Both of which, force me to contemplate my existence and question my worth. Is reality as bleak as it is? Or should I deceive myself into positivity?

For sure hope stands with me. If it were otherwise, I’d have been dead, three years before, in my own hands. Sensibly, I made an oath to myself to fight and defend, and that I shall do.

The sad thing is, I’m nowhere near my goal. I know for a fact that I’d never see it in my natural lifetime. But for those who have yet to live life, it shall be worth the fight. To create a reality where peace exists among people.

Logen

02/12/08

Speaking Against Hate and Discrimination

I’m outspoken when it comes to discrimination, even among friends. However, there are times when you have to roll your eyes in exasperation and hold your tongue.

I’ve mentioned that I shall write various entries on discrimination (focusing on racial, religious and sexual orientation). Aside so, I’m prepping up an online activism community to speak about this cause of anti-discrimination and the serious problem of hate-crimes. Members will also be able to upload videos, photos and audio recording pertaining to this cause.

Having said that, I’m seeking volunteers to produce articles at the moment. I will reveal the URL when it is finished. I have certain people in mind for aiding me, but let’s see if they express interest.

Oh yes, the name of the community is: The Justice Tribunal. I assure you that it isn’t a play on a cartoon’s title: The Justice League.

Logen

P.S. I’m a bit sick in the head, aren’t I. I’m planning websites and neglecting the exam that is 3 days away.

12/15/07

Issues of Civil Rights in Singapore

This entry marks the end of the two-week hiatus. If not for the splitting headache and bouts of nausea, I would have elaborated on my vacation plans. I will however talk about two legal issues: Section 377A and ISA.

blind_justice

Repeal Section 377A

Had you read my earlier posts, you would know I intended to discuss the issue of the repealing Section 377A of Singapore’s penal code. To start off, I am for repealing this section of the penal code.

This section is a mark of discrimination towards gay people. It criminalises sexual acts between two males, even though it has not been actively enforced. And assumingly, the sole reason for the lack of enforcement is to attract foreign talents, of which, some are gay.

Expressed by the government about why this law is kept, includes Singaporeans being a conservative bunch and they don’t want to promote the gay lifestyle. Citizens against the repeal cite moral and religious reasons.

Firstly, I disagree with the “close-one-eye” attitude. The mark of a solid legal system would be its enforcement. If it is in the law enforce it. Do not have two minds about it. It is hypocritical to want not to “glorify the gay lifestyle” but go after their wallets and talents. Have some dignity. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law, but Section 377A clearly implies that homosexuals are regarded as inferiors.

Hitting at the core, this issue is neither one of morality nor religion. Singapore is a secular nation, which basically means god does not participate in politics. Let there be no pretence and denial that it is fear that is doing the talking. It is always fear that inspires hate. So be open, do not let religion and morality be the pretext against the repeal.

With this fear, terms like ‘gay lifestyle’ have sprouted. What does promotion mean? Upon contemplation, the term ‘gay lifestyle’ simply means kissing and fucking a person of the same gender. How can it be promoted? One would have thought it was some sinister commercial organisation that parades in public in leather suits filled with holes at inappropriate places.

It is in my opinion that the arguments presented against the repeal are flawed. They rely heavily on circular arguments that weakly attempts to justify keeping section 377A. (E.g. What if there is a rise in gay prostitution?, What if my son decides to be gay?, etc.). I’m for repealing this section of the penal code, because we must uphold the law’s stand on being fair to all. And if it is not repealed, enforce the law. Don’t be a hypocrite.

The Room for Abuse of in the Internal Security Act (ISA)

Just as pressing, or even more important, is the Internal Security Act. If you read the papers, you would briefly know what this act entails. It allows the arrest of a person, who is deemed a threat to security, without right to trial.

This is barely acceptable, even if it is indeed used for its purpose. The purpose of a trial is to determine if a person is guilty of what he/she is accused of. It would decrease the chances of capturing the wrong person. The law believes that it is better to free 100 guilty men than incarcerate an innocent man. This principle has clearly been violated.

Furthermore, the ISA allows room for abuse. The fact that the government, present and future, can use the ISA as a pretext for something more ghastly should worry us. Do we want to allow for more arsenal against our freedom and rights, if Singapore does one day elect a tyrant government by mistake?

I agree that the ISA is useful, especially when terrorism is the latest trend. However, this piece of legislation should be altered to eliminate the room for abuse. History has shown that not everyone can be trusted with power. Remember Uncle Hitler and Grandpa Hussein? Should we do nothing now, the consequences in the future may be more regrettable.

Disclaimer: Whatever expressed here are my opinions. You are welcome to disagree or simply regard me as a raving lunatic. I may disagree with the government on certain matters but they have done a good job overall thus far.

Logen