To Sara and Adel who's getting hitched this weekend! :P
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Silence
Yeah we are not racist.
You understand chinese what, was their excuse. An excuse given not to justify anything, but just to make themselves feel better. So they continued speaking in mandarin as I just sat there. I kept my silence, not as a protest. To protest would to voice out. To protest would mean to leave. But no, I just kept my silence. Because I am not racist. Because I am racially harmonious.
Isn't that what racial harmony is?
You like chinese songs what, was their excuse. An excuse given not to justify anything, but just to make themselves feel better. So the radio, kept blasting mandarin ballads as I just sat there working on my work. I kept my silence, wondering if music is really a universal language. I kept my silence, trying to differentiate between songs, which all sound so seemingly similar. Chinese. I kept my silence, because protesting would be racist.
Race is not an OB marker that should be crossed.
So no one cares to voice out when the army systematically exclude certain races from certain departments and units. It's for security what. An excuse that don't justify anything, but just to soothe their collective guilt. It's okay. We kept our silence, because we are not racist.
We kept our silence.
Even when they said; Look at them. They and their tudungs, and children. Look at them, said with distaste. They and their black skinny jeans, t-shirts and truckers. Look at them, said with distaste. They and their tents and their picnics on the beach. Look at them. Wanting to wear the tudung to school. Look at them. Demanding equality at the workplace. Look at them, trying their very best to be what they are not. Look at them. Denying their own race because they think they can be one of us. Look at them. They. Just look at them. No excuses were made this time, and still we kept our silence.
You understand chinese what, was their excuse. An excuse given not to justify anything, but just to make themselves feel better. So they continued speaking in mandarin as I just sat there. I kept my silence, not as a protest. To protest would to voice out. To protest would mean to leave. But no, I just kept my silence. Because I am not racist. Because I am racially harmonious.
Isn't that what racial harmony is?
You like chinese songs what, was their excuse. An excuse given not to justify anything, but just to make themselves feel better. So the radio, kept blasting mandarin ballads as I just sat there working on my work. I kept my silence, wondering if music is really a universal language. I kept my silence, trying to differentiate between songs, which all sound so seemingly similar. Chinese. I kept my silence, because protesting would be racist.
Race is not an OB marker that should be crossed.
So no one cares to voice out when the army systematically exclude certain races from certain departments and units. It's for security what. An excuse that don't justify anything, but just to soothe their collective guilt. It's okay. We kept our silence, because we are not racist.
We kept our silence.
Even when they said; Look at them. They and their tudungs, and children. Look at them, said with distaste. They and their black skinny jeans, t-shirts and truckers. Look at them, said with distaste. They and their tents and their picnics on the beach. Look at them. Wanting to wear the tudung to school. Look at them. Demanding equality at the workplace. Look at them, trying their very best to be what they are not. Look at them. Denying their own race because they think they can be one of us. Look at them. They. Just look at them. No excuses were made this time, and still we kept our silence.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The Condom Problem
Teens, sex and Aids: Time to face up to today's realities
It seems that this realization, when similar problems are already faced in the US and other major developed conservative countries came a little too late. Abstinence will never be a 'safe-sex' choice for the sexually active. Those that wish to abstain from sex, will already done so. They know the virtues and joy of waiting for the right one to come (for the straights it's when they walk down the aisle, and the gays.. I dunno..) But for the sexually active majority, the government need to realize that the only viable solution for protection is condom usage.
It is also perhaps interesting to note that many young people are getting HIV not because they are sleeping around with random people, but getting it from their loved ones, from a context of a relationship. For reasons, perhaps linked to the government stance in sex education (abstinence first, be faithful then maybe use the condoms), most young people who are having sex for the first time, especially with a supposed steady partner, do it without a condom. So the one at risk here, isn't only the promiscuous who do it with multiple partners, but also the those that wishes to partake in the 'ultimate expression of love'.
The government needs to exercise their leadership once again, and do the unpopular but necessary thing here. Condom usage needs a better rep. Guerilla messages targeted to specific group, like the gays (usually given out in clubs on Sunday nights and during plays) is not effective. It needs massive attention. The government needs to acknowledge that premarital sex is not a 'moral wrong' or unethical, but merely a lifestyle choice, that can be practiced in a safe way. Once the stigma gets out of the way, only can the education come in. The conservative majority can complain till the cows come home, but the message of abstinence is not working. Children are having sex. Some with hot random strangers online. And many with their allegedly safe partners. Whatever it is, this kids need to protect themselves. And love isn't the answer.
The Aids pandemic of the 70s might yet happen again, only this time on our little island.
It seems that this realization, when similar problems are already faced in the US and other major developed conservative countries came a little too late. Abstinence will never be a 'safe-sex' choice for the sexually active. Those that wish to abstain from sex, will already done so. They know the virtues and joy of waiting for the right one to come (for the straights it's when they walk down the aisle, and the gays.. I dunno..) But for the sexually active majority, the government need to realize that the only viable solution for protection is condom usage.
It is also perhaps interesting to note that many young people are getting HIV not because they are sleeping around with random people, but getting it from their loved ones, from a context of a relationship. For reasons, perhaps linked to the government stance in sex education (abstinence first, be faithful then maybe use the condoms), most young people who are having sex for the first time, especially with a supposed steady partner, do it without a condom. So the one at risk here, isn't only the promiscuous who do it with multiple partners, but also the those that wishes to partake in the 'ultimate expression of love'.
The government needs to exercise their leadership once again, and do the unpopular but necessary thing here. Condom usage needs a better rep. Guerilla messages targeted to specific group, like the gays (usually given out in clubs on Sunday nights and during plays) is not effective. It needs massive attention. The government needs to acknowledge that premarital sex is not a 'moral wrong' or unethical, but merely a lifestyle choice, that can be practiced in a safe way. Once the stigma gets out of the way, only can the education come in. The conservative majority can complain till the cows come home, but the message of abstinence is not working. Children are having sex. Some with hot random strangers online. And many with their allegedly safe partners. Whatever it is, this kids need to protect themselves. And love isn't the answer.
The Aids pandemic of the 70s might yet happen again, only this time on our little island.
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