Facing reality
Sometimes reality may make you cry. Shed some tears from anger and some from remorse. But the thing is to reflect, hold your own and move on. No matter where you are, who you are, what you do - at a supreme level each one of us is a human being - with some feelings, emotions and human rights. People should not forget that. period.
So whether you are the torturer or the tortured - injustice on the part of any will have consequences on both and the fire that burns one will warm the other.
As Linda Goodman says, any scientist can count the seeds in an apple, but there is a greater power - he who can count the apples in a seed.

Sometimes I just wish that things were a bit more clearer and I knew exactly what I am feeling and where I'm going.

Freedom of Speech
Years back (or so it seems), during my secondary school days I was first introduced to the concept of freedom of speech - the right to free expression. However like every other right it wasn't and isn't absolute - especially when it comes to sensitive issues like race and religion which can touch some powerful human sentiments the wrong way.

Then I took up mass comm and was introduced to the international association for journalists - Reporters without Borders. Even the very name is intriguing because the word border is hard to pin down when it comes to reporting. In fact breaking news trickles in every second at office (I'm currently attached to a newsroom..) from every part of the world. Besides, Globalisation and the spread of the internet have made the borders in this world indescribably porous.

However, I understand the problems various governments have against this. Not just Singapore but even our scarce-cater cousin of a country and neighbour Malaysia and of course China. They are trying to curb the spread of the seemingly uncontrollable internet (emphasis - NET) and I wonder what the long term impact of this control policy would be.

But what interests me in this whole saga is where do we draw the line on Freedom of Speech over the internet and who should set these limitations.

As a free-thinking individual I feel it should be a personal choice. But then I remind myself that in a world where assets like education, intellect, intelligence and wealth are poorly distributed not every man would have access to the same knowledge base and the ability to see both sides of the coin. I don't claim to be any expert. Indeed, I should accept the guilt of giving into my emotions many times and thinking emotionally before thinking practically. However, eventually I do come down to seeing both sides of the coin and making a balanced decision. But (without being immodest) not many people do the same. So we have racist bloggers being arrested and whistle blowers facing mortal peril.

I have heard that the right to swing your arm ends where the other man's fist begins. But that depends on the distance between the two individuals and the size of the fist. For me arresting a reporter who performed his duty and reported on the Tianenmen Square pro-democracy protest is like the teacher who forced tape on to her student's mouth when he tried telling her that the area of a triangle is not length*breadth but that it's half* base*hieght. I'll leave all further interpretation to the readers.

There are many who may support authority to the extent that they are willing to give up their individual rights in complying with it and using it the way Jack used the bean stalk. But there are some things that need expression and if you try curbing the basic human instinct it will only get fiercer in ways you never expect. Like the tape teacher who got a kick in the gut from the same student when he graduated several years later.

Respect doesn't just come, it needs to be earned.

(I'm sure I'll come back and make edits..courtesy - my freedom to think all that I want but not utter it all!)