Ah, punishment…A widely talked about topic I must say. Why do we need punishment? Are we so ignorant of rules that we should have to resort to pain to ensure that one learns his or her lesson??? This brings up the topic of today’s justice system and to be specific, effective law and order. What is effective and what is not? Why is it that most of us label the meting out of harsh punishments to being more effective that giving more lenient punishments? It looks as if we humans, highly intellectual people I must add, are only capable of learning our mistakes through pain and torture. Surely something is amiss…
Today’s law and order has taken, from a personal point of view, a turn for the worse. The punishments seem to be getting harsher and harsher form each new crime being committed in today’s society. Just about a week ago, there was an officer form the Central Narcotics Bureau, who came to talk to all the students about the multitudes of highly addictive drugs being circulated among drug traffickers today, and off course, the punishments awaiting these drug traffickers. 24 strokes of the cane is one of the cruel punishments that await these traffickers. 24 stokes of the cane at one session!!! And we aren’t talking about the canes that we buy from any shop…Oh no, we’re talking about canes that are thicker than our index fingers and the people who met out the punishment are real professionals…I talking about people who take target practice to ensure that every shot lands spot on to ensure maximum pain. Sounds totally sick and sadistic right…Wait till you see the pictures…I guarantee that the next time you get even an ounce of craving for drugs, your hand will immediately be feeling for your behinds…
With reactions such as this, can’t it be said that the punishment is effective??? So it’s sadistic and all, but it does shove fear down our guts which does achieve its primary purpose: Making people fear facing the consequences for drug trafficking. Imagine issuing a normal jail sentence to one such drug trafficker. Sure, he’ll be confined but his mentality would simple be, “It’s just a small jail sentence. I’ll just be extra cautious next time. What’s the worse that could happen?” So, in this context, pain does serve as effective punishment.
Another thing I would like to talk about is about one of the stories that was shown on the “Taboo” video shown in school. Though I’ve forgotten exactly what country it was in, but I would like to highlight what its crime punishment ritual works. You see, law and order in this particular place revolves around religion and beliefs. Unlike in countless other places today, where criminals are convicted of their crimes in courts, this particular place goes one step further. Should there be a case where the criminal cannot be properly convicted in court due to reason such as lack of evidence, there is a ritual whereby both the accused and the accuser must dip their hands into a pot of boiling oil and retrieve a ring inside the pot. It’s believed that he person who’s guilty will have their hands burned while those who are actually innocent will not be greatly harmed.
The video actually showed an instance whereby the method worked and the correct person was identified for his crimes. Though the accuser had to go through pain of dipping his own hand into the oil, the purpose of the ritual was served. You see, the mere thought of dipping his hand into a pot of boiling oil was so ludicrous and downright scary was too much for him to handle, that he confessed on the spot. Off course, the punishment was served in full force through public humiliation.
Crucially, what I am driving at, is that every community will have its view one what it considers to be effective punishment or effective law and order. To them, it doesn’t matter if its painful, ludicrous, or downright crazy, as long as it serves its purpose of making people think twice about committing a crime, to them its effective. But for all our sakes, lets just hope that this notion of using boiling oil to solve modern day crimes and disputes never ever surfaces in Singapore no matter how effective it is…
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
School Break-ups and Heart breaks
Ah, alas, a growing topic and an issue being encountered by a growing number of teens not only in America alone, but maybe wider on the global scale. Relationships or to be exact, boy-girl relationships and a major issue plaguing young adults today, especially with the ever stressful school life always lurking around us. So what I am trying to drive at is why they even commit to a relationship at such a tender age when they know that is about sure to never work out….
When we look at today’s students, we can see that there is a lot of love in the air, or maybe it’s just the ever growing hormones. We see a lot of these relationships blooming in secondary school and it just becomes greater in Junior Colleges. The thing is that, how many of these relationships actually do make it? In secondary school, say at the end of secondary 4, when one goes to a JC in one part of Singapore and the other ends up in a polytechnic in another distant part in Singapore, will they realistically be able to carry on their relationship? Sure they may have the weekends, but our raging hormones are bound to seek out another significant other to spend our school days with. Then, the boys will have to move on to the army for the next 1 and a half to 2 years. Will he really expect his girlfriend to wait eagerly for him every weekend?
Yes, I may sound very cynical about this whole relationship thing but I really do feel that by committing to a relationship at such an age is bound to give you a heart break sooner or later. In today’s competitive society, where getting to interact with my family members is a rare chance, there is limited chance of building a strong relationship. I think that its for the best that we keep our options open and not quickly jump into things just from one burst of emotion from our hearts. Yes, we are bound to have our crushes and so forth, but it would be best that we avoid making to much hash over it.
When we look at today’s students, we can see that there is a lot of love in the air, or maybe it’s just the ever growing hormones. We see a lot of these relationships blooming in secondary school and it just becomes greater in Junior Colleges. The thing is that, how many of these relationships actually do make it? In secondary school, say at the end of secondary 4, when one goes to a JC in one part of Singapore and the other ends up in a polytechnic in another distant part in Singapore, will they realistically be able to carry on their relationship? Sure they may have the weekends, but our raging hormones are bound to seek out another significant other to spend our school days with. Then, the boys will have to move on to the army for the next 1 and a half to 2 years. Will he really expect his girlfriend to wait eagerly for him every weekend?
Yes, I may sound very cynical about this whole relationship thing but I really do feel that by committing to a relationship at such an age is bound to give you a heart break sooner or later. In today’s competitive society, where getting to interact with my family members is a rare chance, there is limited chance of building a strong relationship. I think that its for the best that we keep our options open and not quickly jump into things just from one burst of emotion from our hearts. Yes, we are bound to have our crushes and so forth, but it would be best that we avoid making to much hash over it.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Today's Parenting
Today’s Parenting
With reference, to the Newsweek article “Still haunted by what could have happened”, I have managed to draw out a few issues concerning today’s parenting. Written by a female writer, the article is about an incident that happened to her at the age of 12. Being very gullible at that time, she was actually lured into having coffee with this man who pretended to be a model photographer. With some measure of sweet talk, the writer was deceived. When he finally revealed himself to be a child pornography photographer, it was the writer’s quick legs that saved her from what would be otherwise, a very horrible fate.
These events have sort of influenced her parenting approach. She has become on the verge of being a very over-protective mother to her children. With this, I address the issue of today’s parenting. It is good??? Is it bad??? Just how mush has changed in parenting over the past years. You see, we all have to look at what the world has shaped into today. Is it any safer you may ask? Well, my answer would have to be “no”. Aside form terrorist attacks, crimes have been rampant as ever. Let’s not look at this in a Singaporean context and instead look at other places around the world. The emergence of the internet chat relay rooms and many other connection devices have may it a walk in the park for sexual predators to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Society itself has shown a growing number of sexual offenders and many other criminals. It is at such “dangerous” times like these when we ask ourselves, “Is it really wrong for parents to be so protective of their children?” I stand on the fence for this issue.
It is not bad but it’s certainly not correct either. By looking aver the shoulder to see if their parents are around, children are really being deprived of the freedom they ought to my. My philosophy is that, children should experience reality alone once in a while. It is mistakes made at time like those where the child really understands the consequences of his actions. I am not trying to imply that girls should get raped just for them to realize the mistake of talking to a stranger. I am trying to say that parents should emphasize their advice to their children and have the trust that they will heed their advice.
I see in more and more in today’s society. Children are generally being more pampered by their parents and with such a good life they are leading today, children actually grown up not experiencing many hardships. The growing concerns of parents can be seen in the way teachers are getting more and more calls from them about their child. Co-curricular activities have really gotten a lot of stick from the parents because of their child’s involvement.
So, at the end of the day, I think that parents should give their children all the advice in the world but actually allow the child to go out and experience reality and life on the streets. Couple that with loads of care and concern, and I can assure that they’ll grow up to be better people. Believe what you want, because in the end what matters the most to me, is that I know I have benefited from the freedom my parents have given me.
With reference, to the Newsweek article “Still haunted by what could have happened”, I have managed to draw out a few issues concerning today’s parenting. Written by a female writer, the article is about an incident that happened to her at the age of 12. Being very gullible at that time, she was actually lured into having coffee with this man who pretended to be a model photographer. With some measure of sweet talk, the writer was deceived. When he finally revealed himself to be a child pornography photographer, it was the writer’s quick legs that saved her from what would be otherwise, a very horrible fate.
These events have sort of influenced her parenting approach. She has become on the verge of being a very over-protective mother to her children. With this, I address the issue of today’s parenting. It is good??? Is it bad??? Just how mush has changed in parenting over the past years. You see, we all have to look at what the world has shaped into today. Is it any safer you may ask? Well, my answer would have to be “no”. Aside form terrorist attacks, crimes have been rampant as ever. Let’s not look at this in a Singaporean context and instead look at other places around the world. The emergence of the internet chat relay rooms and many other connection devices have may it a walk in the park for sexual predators to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Society itself has shown a growing number of sexual offenders and many other criminals. It is at such “dangerous” times like these when we ask ourselves, “Is it really wrong for parents to be so protective of their children?” I stand on the fence for this issue.
It is not bad but it’s certainly not correct either. By looking aver the shoulder to see if their parents are around, children are really being deprived of the freedom they ought to my. My philosophy is that, children should experience reality alone once in a while. It is mistakes made at time like those where the child really understands the consequences of his actions. I am not trying to imply that girls should get raped just for them to realize the mistake of talking to a stranger. I am trying to say that parents should emphasize their advice to their children and have the trust that they will heed their advice.
I see in more and more in today’s society. Children are generally being more pampered by their parents and with such a good life they are leading today, children actually grown up not experiencing many hardships. The growing concerns of parents can be seen in the way teachers are getting more and more calls from them about their child. Co-curricular activities have really gotten a lot of stick from the parents because of their child’s involvement.
So, at the end of the day, I think that parents should give their children all the advice in the world but actually allow the child to go out and experience reality and life on the streets. Couple that with loads of care and concern, and I can assure that they’ll grow up to be better people. Believe what you want, because in the end what matters the most to me, is that I know I have benefited from the freedom my parents have given me.
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