Apathy
I was reading the December's issue of the Law Gazette and would like to reproduce an exerpt from the President's message.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, the President of the Law Society, first quoted Clarence Darrow, a famous American lawyer: "True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else."
He then went on to say: "The person who dissents, who points out shortcomings of his own group, whether profession, nation or society, may in fact be the true patriot. His criticism marks him as a person who cares about what goes on. It is not disloyalty. Simply joining in a flag-waving chorus may be nothing more than a sign of indifference and apathy."
Before I knew it, I had scribbled "Well said!" on the page of the magazine next to those words!
I think the problem with our apathetic society is that we are just too comfortable with it: Why change something that does not need changing?
Also the line between dissension and "troublemaking" is a bit too hazy for our comfort. We have a culture of fear inbred in this society. A lot of things are taboo to speak up about. Whether or not the fear of getting into trouble for dissenting is justifiable or otherwise, the fear exists. Every Singaporean I know has at one point or another been cautioned by well meaning relatives and friends about speaking out (i.e. making criticisms) on certain issues (especially political or government related ones).
It also takes great courage to rock the boat. When I was a teenager and even while I was in Uni, I had a great many opinions about a great many things (And a heroic [some would say idiotic] lack of fear as well). Sadly it seems that lately, I have mellowed/ blended into a member of the flag waving chorus. Simply because I care more for preserving my family and my rice bowl than I do for lashing out at an idealistic indignity at an injustice which has no overt or direct effect on myself or my family.
In other words, I have become comfortable and therefore I do not want to rock the boat. There seems to be something sad about that line of thinking, I know. But I suspect that a lot of Singaporeans are in that same boat.
And thus the apathy.
Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, the President of the Law Society, first quoted Clarence Darrow, a famous American lawyer: "True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else."
He then went on to say: "The person who dissents, who points out shortcomings of his own group, whether profession, nation or society, may in fact be the true patriot. His criticism marks him as a person who cares about what goes on. It is not disloyalty. Simply joining in a flag-waving chorus may be nothing more than a sign of indifference and apathy."
Before I knew it, I had scribbled "Well said!" on the page of the magazine next to those words!
I think the problem with our apathetic society is that we are just too comfortable with it: Why change something that does not need changing?
Also the line between dissension and "troublemaking" is a bit too hazy for our comfort. We have a culture of fear inbred in this society. A lot of things are taboo to speak up about. Whether or not the fear of getting into trouble for dissenting is justifiable or otherwise, the fear exists. Every Singaporean I know has at one point or another been cautioned by well meaning relatives and friends about speaking out (i.e. making criticisms) on certain issues (especially political or government related ones).
It also takes great courage to rock the boat. When I was a teenager and even while I was in Uni, I had a great many opinions about a great many things (And a heroic [some would say idiotic] lack of fear as well). Sadly it seems that lately, I have mellowed/ blended into a member of the flag waving chorus. Simply because I care more for preserving my family and my rice bowl than I do for lashing out at an idealistic indignity at an injustice which has no overt or direct effect on myself or my family.
In other words, I have become comfortable and therefore I do not want to rock the boat. There seems to be something sad about that line of thinking, I know. But I suspect that a lot of Singaporeans are in that same boat.
And thus the apathy.
posted by PepperMin | 6:06 pm
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