Racial Harmony Day blog assignment

I think Szilagyi’s view should be adopted in a multi-racial Singapore. With several different races living together in one small island, it is of utmost importance that we pay due respect to each individual race hence avoiding superfluous conflicts from arising. Taking into account the 1964 race riots that occurred in Singapore, we have a clear idea of what racial insensitivities could do to sabotage the peace and harmony enjoyed by the society. The massive killings and destruction brought about by such racial strife will have huge negative impact on the society as a whole. Loss of man-hours as a result of work stoppages, deaths of able-bodied dexterous workers etc will cause the economy to plummet severely. Freedom of speech should be limited and restricted to the point where race and religion matters are concerned. The thought of engaging in a racial conflict is unthinkable. Singaporeans should be mindful of the repercussions of their actions especially so when it is played upon racial lines.

Social responsibility should be prioritized ahead of freedom of speech. Such as in the case of the provocative cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad, when there is freedom of speech, people tend not to take into account the consequences of their actions, leading to social unrest and huge controversy surrounding it. Should such cartoons have been banned earlier on and not been published, tension would not have been sparked off between the Middle East and the Danes and Norwegians. Certainly, freedom of speech is vital to the normal functioning of a democratic country. Without it, the country would be like under the control of a totalitarian or even like that of communism. However, freedom of speech must be used with control. Devoid of mindful usage of it, it could turn out into becoming a blunt weapon, stirring up gratuitous trouble like in the case of the cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad.

'Prejudice is a disease we can never get rid of.' Discuss.

Yes I agree with the statement. Prejudice is like an illness that is highly contagious and brings about harmful effects. It is long lasting and unless something drastic or extreme is done to subdue it, prejudice will live on forever.

Prejudice arising from racial discriminations is something unavoidable in the society today. Children of different races grow up with the perspective that those whose skin colour is different from theirs are outcasts in the society and should be ostracised deservingly, thinking that it is perfectly right to do so. This mentality is passed down through generations and those being discriminated against are being trapped in the vicious process.The main way why prejudice would be spread to children is due to socialization. This is the way children is being brought up along with the mindset being fixed and engraved within them that it is almost impossible to get rid of it due to prolonged exposure to the people around them who are prejudiced.Prejudice is something which originates from the heart and brain. It cannot be easily removed unless the something done is able to change one’s mindset towards the species being prejudiced against and undoubtedly requires something revolutionary to do so. It will then change the outlook of life of the person involved.

1. “YouTube has no ethics; it's been created for the sole purpose of entertainment and money.” Do you agree?

Yes, I agree with the statement. Youtube has been the latest craze to hit the internet for the past few months or even years. Its popularity has soared with time. People seek to check the site out to view clips that are outrageously comical, silly or simply hard to get without paying for it. Most importantly, one can watch videos on the site without downloading any software or even registering.
The clips in YouTube are highly enticing and beguiling. Many visit its site for the sole purpose of entertainment, to catch up on the latest humour in the net or simply to kill time. With its high popularity, advertisers are willing to pay a lot in order to be on YouTube. And soon enough, YouTube was sold for $1.65 billion 21 months after it was first set up. Money is definitely a driving force behind the establishment of YouTube. Should it not be a factor behind the creation of YouTube, its creators would certainly not be willing to sell its prized possession. Selling YouTube shortly after its creation is hard to swallow, especially when one chooses to believe that YouTube was not created for the purpose of money. The transaction of YouTube to Google just serves to highlight and reiterate the point that YouTube was created for money ultimately Furthermore, YouTube has no ethics. Many YouTube clips consist of copyrighted materials. It infringed copyright rules by using clips owned by others, the most popular one being Viacom and putting them up on its own site. By taking others’ clips and assuming it to be one’s own or using it without seeking their permission is direct violation of the laws which govern the world today. Such actions can definitely not be condoned.

A new beginning

Hi my name is Leroy. I first saw the world on 10 October 1990 in a cold operating theatre in Mount Elizabeth hospital. Weighing just 3kg plus then, my weight had since multiplied to an awesome 50-odd kg within a short span of 17 years. At a young age of 4, I began my journey to pursue knowledge starting from a nursery then to the kindergarten. There, I learned to write, both in English and Chinese. Seemingly effortless now, it was chore to do so back then. The fun that I had was also an integral part of my childhood life. Soon enough I graduated from kindergarten and began the next phase of my education in Jing Shan Primary School. The days spent in primary school were both fun and fulfilling. However, the stress started to pile on when I was in primary six when everyone was preparing hard for the upcoming PSLE. After graduation from primary education, I went on to Anderson Secondary School. I took up NPCC as my co-curricular activity. It was tough but worthwhile as it prepared me for the NS. The secondary school days were fun but the fun was short-lived as even before I knew it, it was the prelimary examination then the ‘o’-levels examinations. Upon graduation, I moved on to Anderson junior college and am now currently studying there.
I have never enjoyed playing soccer when I was young, having a mentality that it was a brainless game- fancy having several grown up men chasing for a ball. But however, it all changed when I grew older and began liking the sport. It became enjoyable and soon believing that it is a good form of exercise to sweat it all out.