http://www.rd.com/content/wealthy-couple-helps-inner-city-kids-succeed/
In other countries, there have been many cases of broken families and it is always the children who suffer the most. They do not receive the proper love and care, and might grow up mixing with bad company. Fortunately, there are also children from broken families who grow up happily and this article tells the story of how a group of boys who come from disoriented families became a part of a big, wholesome family. The two proud parents of this family are Michael and Leslie Rosen and every one of the boys confesses in this story that without those two, they would never have a proper education and life.
I chose this article because it was such a heart-warming one and when I read it, I was really happy that there was such goodness somewhere out there in the world. Almost every adult tells me of the perils and dangers lurking in the modern society, and that our world is now an “every man for himself” one. But this story seems to alleviate the harshness of our world and The Rosens had no obligation to help the boys at all, yet they did so without hesitation. I admire them for being able to bring together seven boys of different ethnic races and help them progress into life happily. The most respectful part was that they were actually happy to do so.
I feel that the other most essential thing that this article shows is the importance of relationships. In Singapore, life seems to be so fast-paced that so many people are forgetting about relationships. Work always comes first before spending quality time with our family. It is our family who support us all the time but instead we forget about them all the time. The student who would rather spend his time hanging out with friends or playing computer games than be with his family. The working person who does not find time to visit his parents. Are these not prime examples of us neglecting our families? Must we wait till we are all old and shriveled and our children do not want to spend time with us before we start regretting?
I personally am guilty of not wanting to be with my family sometimes, but somehow, reading this story has changed my views a bit. I took my family for granted but these boys in the story did not even have a proper family. It was like a dream come true when the Rosens treated them like an extended part of their family. It seems that many of us do not realise the seriousness of not having a proper family, and so we become complacent and nonchalant about our family.
In a way, I actually envy the Rosens and their extended family. They could click together so well and were so bonded as a family. Perhaps it’s because the boys understood the pains of growing up without proper love and care from a family, so they treasured this relationship so much. (503 words)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Who are the beasts now?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/6566935.stm
Dog fighting is a sport that was banned a long time ago, but has persisted till today. These dogs do not fight with rules or regulations; rather they are trained to comply with one simple rule: tear the opponent apart. It is the aggressive and dangerous nature of this sport that precisely got it banned in the first place, but sadly, there has been a recent increase in dog fighting, as stated in the article. The article also mentions that dog fighting mainly appeals to insecure people as it gives them a sense of power and control. These dog fighters are not even treating the dogs as living things but as mere tools to satisfy their pleasures and needs. These poor dogs are treated poorly and their only existence is to kill other dogs or they will be killed. It is totally wrong that these people are venting their frustrations over failures on dogs that are completely innocent. The dog fighters mainly feel insignificant in their lives because of how others treat them like failures, but yet they do not try to prove themselves. Instead they just resort to throwing all their anger at dogs that cannot fight back. Everyone else will still treat them like failures. They do not realise that what they are doing only worsens matters as not only are they not proving their worth, they are getting trapped in a false illusion of power and control by torturing the dogs.
Even when the dogs are badly injured, the dog fighters still relish in pushing them harder and feel no remorse over killing them. This control over the dogs is not a form of power, but rather, it shows a perverse nature. Anyone can exhibit that form of control over the dogs but they do not, and I feel that this best shows that being able to control the dogs does not mean having real power. The dog fighters have to understand that this control that they have over the dogs can never exist in the human society because humans are smarter and know how to fight back. The dog fighters are acting like as if they are very much above the dogs, but they are acting more like beasts than the dogs will ever be. They even use the dogs as means to help them earn money, not caring about their deaths at all.
But, in a way, I think I can also relate a bit to how the dog fighters are feeling. They turn to dog fighting to cover up their insecurities mainly because their human counterparts look down on them. They just want to prove themselves but just do not possess the correct ideas to do so. I am sure that many have also experienced these feelings of frustration before, but they just resolved to prove that they were not useless. Thus, the dog fighters have no right to inflict their emotional pain onto the dogs physically.
(492 words)
Dog fighting is a sport that was banned a long time ago, but has persisted till today. These dogs do not fight with rules or regulations; rather they are trained to comply with one simple rule: tear the opponent apart. It is the aggressive and dangerous nature of this sport that precisely got it banned in the first place, but sadly, there has been a recent increase in dog fighting, as stated in the article. The article also mentions that dog fighting mainly appeals to insecure people as it gives them a sense of power and control. These dog fighters are not even treating the dogs as living things but as mere tools to satisfy their pleasures and needs. These poor dogs are treated poorly and their only existence is to kill other dogs or they will be killed. It is totally wrong that these people are venting their frustrations over failures on dogs that are completely innocent. The dog fighters mainly feel insignificant in their lives because of how others treat them like failures, but yet they do not try to prove themselves. Instead they just resort to throwing all their anger at dogs that cannot fight back. Everyone else will still treat them like failures. They do not realise that what they are doing only worsens matters as not only are they not proving their worth, they are getting trapped in a false illusion of power and control by torturing the dogs.
Even when the dogs are badly injured, the dog fighters still relish in pushing them harder and feel no remorse over killing them. This control over the dogs is not a form of power, but rather, it shows a perverse nature. Anyone can exhibit that form of control over the dogs but they do not, and I feel that this best shows that being able to control the dogs does not mean having real power. The dog fighters have to understand that this control that they have over the dogs can never exist in the human society because humans are smarter and know how to fight back. The dog fighters are acting like as if they are very much above the dogs, but they are acting more like beasts than the dogs will ever be. They even use the dogs as means to help them earn money, not caring about their deaths at all.
But, in a way, I think I can also relate a bit to how the dog fighters are feeling. They turn to dog fighting to cover up their insecurities mainly because their human counterparts look down on them. They just want to prove themselves but just do not possess the correct ideas to do so. I am sure that many have also experienced these feelings of frustration before, but they just resolved to prove that they were not useless. Thus, the dog fighters have no right to inflict their emotional pain onto the dogs physically.
(492 words)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Push for open access to research
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6404429.stm
This article is regarding the issue of whether scientific research information should be shared with all other researchers and the public. Some researchers have seen the advantages of creating a policy to open their work to everyone and have thus launched a petition that called on the European Commission to establish a new policy that would require all government-funded research to be made available to the public shortly after publication.
After reading the article, I could understand the reasons why there are researchers who are hesitant about accepting this policy. If they follow the policy, they will not be able to earn as much money since everyone having access to the research information will generate less demand for it. Furthermore, by opening research to the public, there will be a lot of research of the same kind on the internet. Hence, there is a chance that some researchers will be left out of the picture while others steal all the limelight. Some might be lucky and have many people read their online journals or research but others might not be so. Without the policy, at least universities will look through everyone’s research and decide whether to purchase their publications based on how well it is written. They will stand an equal chance to gain fame.
But, I personally feel that it is actually a good idea to allow government-funded research to be shared with the public. Firstly, just like the article stated, a freely available virtual scientific library available to the entire globe can be created and thus widening the spread of knowledge everywhere. Students will also be able to learn much more since information is so readily available and can delve deeper into the subjects they are learning. Compared with what we have on the internet now, which only contains mainly research which were conducted many years ago and do not really showcase new ideas and breakthroughs. There have also been instances where people who just want to find out more about new scientific discoveries have always not been given access to the research information. But with the new policy, members of the public can find what they need. Cancer patients seeking information on new treatments or parents searching for the latest on childhood development issues will be able to find what they need easily.
I feel that the researchers’ studies are defeating their main purpose if they do so much research to come up with new discoveries but wish to keep it from the public. The researchers’ main concerns seem to be the money they can get from their publications. Their profits made will indeed be less if they open their research to the public without selling their work to universities, since it will seem less prestigious to the public, but is the main issue about scientific research not about improving our lives? So, I strongly feel that the researchers’ main concerns about their work should be focused more on helping people than the monetary issue.
(498 words)
This article is regarding the issue of whether scientific research information should be shared with all other researchers and the public. Some researchers have seen the advantages of creating a policy to open their work to everyone and have thus launched a petition that called on the European Commission to establish a new policy that would require all government-funded research to be made available to the public shortly after publication.
After reading the article, I could understand the reasons why there are researchers who are hesitant about accepting this policy. If they follow the policy, they will not be able to earn as much money since everyone having access to the research information will generate less demand for it. Furthermore, by opening research to the public, there will be a lot of research of the same kind on the internet. Hence, there is a chance that some researchers will be left out of the picture while others steal all the limelight. Some might be lucky and have many people read their online journals or research but others might not be so. Without the policy, at least universities will look through everyone’s research and decide whether to purchase their publications based on how well it is written. They will stand an equal chance to gain fame.
But, I personally feel that it is actually a good idea to allow government-funded research to be shared with the public. Firstly, just like the article stated, a freely available virtual scientific library available to the entire globe can be created and thus widening the spread of knowledge everywhere. Students will also be able to learn much more since information is so readily available and can delve deeper into the subjects they are learning. Compared with what we have on the internet now, which only contains mainly research which were conducted many years ago and do not really showcase new ideas and breakthroughs. There have also been instances where people who just want to find out more about new scientific discoveries have always not been given access to the research information. But with the new policy, members of the public can find what they need. Cancer patients seeking information on new treatments or parents searching for the latest on childhood development issues will be able to find what they need easily.
I feel that the researchers’ studies are defeating their main purpose if they do so much research to come up with new discoveries but wish to keep it from the public. The researchers’ main concerns seem to be the money they can get from their publications. Their profits made will indeed be less if they open their research to the public without selling their work to universities, since it will seem less prestigious to the public, but is the main issue about scientific research not about improving our lives? So, I strongly feel that the researchers’ main concerns about their work should be focused more on helping people than the monetary issue.
(498 words)
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Another victim of vicious bullying
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6653969.stm?ls
There have been many cases of bullying in schools everywhere. Some students are lucky to be spared, but weaker, more awkward students are picked on mercilessly by school bullies. This article highlights the predicament of Benjamin Cox, a bully victim who was bullied from the age of five by an older pupil, leaving him with psychiatric problems.
Although Benjamin was given a lot of money that can cover his lifetime, these large sums of money can never heal the emotional scars he has suffered. He had to deal with being bullied at such a young age of five and he lost the fun of his childhood all because of bullying. This incident is a good example which showcases the damage of bullying. Just because someone acts differently from us or has a different physical appearance, it does not give us the right to make fun of them. After all, all human beings are equal regardless of their race, religion or ethnic group. What right does one have to claim dominance over another person just because you are not happy with him or her?
Bullying destroys the victims’ self-esteem and leaves scars on their mentality which cannot be easily gotten rid of. The victims are helpless against the bullies, and the bullies usually get their friends to help in the bullying. No other student will dare mix with the victims for fear of being associated with them and having to face the bullies too. Hence, I feel that bullying is almost as bad as stealing or any other crime. If people who commit these crimes have to face serious consequences, is it really fair for the bullies to just get away scot-free? So when I read in the article that the school brushed bullying aside as a minor issue, I felt that it was totally preposterous. Bullying can destroy the victim’s childhood and lead to many problems, so it definitely cannot be considered a minor issue. If bullies are allowed to continue in their actions, they will grow up thinking that they can do anything they want, even crimes. Bullying absolutely does not build character and schools must find a way to prevent bullying.
The main rationale for bullying is differences between students and therefore some students are picked on by others to express their dislike. The victims dare not retaliate and the bullies just continue with their atrocities. To solve the problem, schools must educate children on the awfulness of bullying when they are young and let it get into their heads that they must never bully others. The victims must undergo therapy to allow them to overcome their problems and let them know what to do if they are bullied. School authorities must not just punish the bullies without making them understand their mistakes, for it will make matters worse and the bullies will blame the victims for their punishment. We must understand that bullies are also misguided and if everyone recognizes the awfulness of bullying, it can be prevented.
(501 words)
There have been many cases of bullying in schools everywhere. Some students are lucky to be spared, but weaker, more awkward students are picked on mercilessly by school bullies. This article highlights the predicament of Benjamin Cox, a bully victim who was bullied from the age of five by an older pupil, leaving him with psychiatric problems.
Although Benjamin was given a lot of money that can cover his lifetime, these large sums of money can never heal the emotional scars he has suffered. He had to deal with being bullied at such a young age of five and he lost the fun of his childhood all because of bullying. This incident is a good example which showcases the damage of bullying. Just because someone acts differently from us or has a different physical appearance, it does not give us the right to make fun of them. After all, all human beings are equal regardless of their race, religion or ethnic group. What right does one have to claim dominance over another person just because you are not happy with him or her?
Bullying destroys the victims’ self-esteem and leaves scars on their mentality which cannot be easily gotten rid of. The victims are helpless against the bullies, and the bullies usually get their friends to help in the bullying. No other student will dare mix with the victims for fear of being associated with them and having to face the bullies too. Hence, I feel that bullying is almost as bad as stealing or any other crime. If people who commit these crimes have to face serious consequences, is it really fair for the bullies to just get away scot-free? So when I read in the article that the school brushed bullying aside as a minor issue, I felt that it was totally preposterous. Bullying can destroy the victim’s childhood and lead to many problems, so it definitely cannot be considered a minor issue. If bullies are allowed to continue in their actions, they will grow up thinking that they can do anything they want, even crimes. Bullying absolutely does not build character and schools must find a way to prevent bullying.
The main rationale for bullying is differences between students and therefore some students are picked on by others to express their dislike. The victims dare not retaliate and the bullies just continue with their atrocities. To solve the problem, schools must educate children on the awfulness of bullying when they are young and let it get into their heads that they must never bully others. The victims must undergo therapy to allow them to overcome their problems and let them know what to do if they are bullied. School authorities must not just punish the bullies without making them understand their mistakes, for it will make matters worse and the bullies will blame the victims for their punishment. We must understand that bullies are also misguided and if everyone recognizes the awfulness of bullying, it can be prevented.
(501 words)
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Integration is key factor as more immigrants settle in S'pore: Minister
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/261658/1/.html
In this article, it is noted that new immigrants to Singapore are not adapting well here as locals and the foreigners are not able to accomodate each other. There are prejudices and stereotypes between the two parties and hence a social problem is created.
Personally, I feel that locals are more at fault for causing this problem. First of all, locals should accept that most of the foreigners who come and work here are true talents who can bring in benefits for our economy. They are highly skilled professionals who can easily get a job at places which offer better opportunities like New York, Shanghai, etc. But they chose to work here, and they can help pull up our economy with their skills. So, we should actually appreciate that they are willing to come here to apply their skills. Yet, if we keep thinking that it is unfair that foreigners can always get good jobs and treat the foreigners badly, they will not want to come and work here anymore and throwing away talents like that is really very wasteful. Although foreigners might seem arrogant, but we should try to understand how they feel. After all, they are foreign to Singapore, so they will try to shield their emotions and build a wall around them until they are closer to the locals. Hence, they will seem arrogant and aloof, but if we do not give them a chance to slowly get close to us, and instead term all of the foreigners as arrogant, the foreigners will not even feel encouraged to warm up to us. Obviously, they will be angry at us and we will be the ones losing out if all these talents are not willing to work in Singapore.
There are also many times when locals lose out their jobs to foreigners and says that employers are biased and will rather hire foreigners instead of locals. Though, this might be true sometimes, there are times where we have to accept the fact that there will be people more qualified to the job and in this case, foreigners. We cannot always give excuses such as employers being biased toward foreigners to cover up the fact that the foreigners might just be better than us at some aspects. We have to know that most of the time, everyone is given an equal chance, so if we really lose out our job to foreigners, maybe it is just that they are really better than us. Instead of coming up with excuses, we can just learn from the foreigners and in the future, we can be as skilful as them in our jobs.
If Singaporeans can just stop acting like a bunch of sour grapes and just try to understand the foreigners instead of condemning them so fast, this social problem can surely be solved and this will lead to Singapore's economy rising, which will then attract more foreigners to work here.
In this article, it is noted that new immigrants to Singapore are not adapting well here as locals and the foreigners are not able to accomodate each other. There are prejudices and stereotypes between the two parties and hence a social problem is created.
Personally, I feel that locals are more at fault for causing this problem. First of all, locals should accept that most of the foreigners who come and work here are true talents who can bring in benefits for our economy. They are highly skilled professionals who can easily get a job at places which offer better opportunities like New York, Shanghai, etc. But they chose to work here, and they can help pull up our economy with their skills. So, we should actually appreciate that they are willing to come here to apply their skills. Yet, if we keep thinking that it is unfair that foreigners can always get good jobs and treat the foreigners badly, they will not want to come and work here anymore and throwing away talents like that is really very wasteful. Although foreigners might seem arrogant, but we should try to understand how they feel. After all, they are foreign to Singapore, so they will try to shield their emotions and build a wall around them until they are closer to the locals. Hence, they will seem arrogant and aloof, but if we do not give them a chance to slowly get close to us, and instead term all of the foreigners as arrogant, the foreigners will not even feel encouraged to warm up to us. Obviously, they will be angry at us and we will be the ones losing out if all these talents are not willing to work in Singapore.
There are also many times when locals lose out their jobs to foreigners and says that employers are biased and will rather hire foreigners instead of locals. Though, this might be true sometimes, there are times where we have to accept the fact that there will be people more qualified to the job and in this case, foreigners. We cannot always give excuses such as employers being biased toward foreigners to cover up the fact that the foreigners might just be better than us at some aspects. We have to know that most of the time, everyone is given an equal chance, so if we really lose out our job to foreigners, maybe it is just that they are really better than us. Instead of coming up with excuses, we can just learn from the foreigners and in the future, we can be as skilful as them in our jobs.
If Singaporeans can just stop acting like a bunch of sour grapes and just try to understand the foreigners instead of condemning them so fast, this social problem can surely be solved and this will lead to Singapore's economy rising, which will then attract more foreigners to work here.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Better quality of life will define Singapore as a top First World nation
Article: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/260443/1/.html
The article states that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had said that Singapore can move from the lower half into the upper half of First World countries in the next 10 to 20 years. I agree that MM Lee's vision is a great one but nonetheless, difficult to carry out. Lush greenery, additional waterways and an even more vibrant social life will be seen in Singapore in the coming years but just as MM Lee said, this only contributes the physical aspect of the transformation. Our people also need to bond together well as a nation and put aside our differences. Most importantly, Singaporeans have to love their country and be willing to give for Singapore.
Many feel it is most apt for the Minister Mentor to paint this new vision for the country now and i agree with them on this. MM Lee is someone who brought Singapore to great heights with his great leadership and just as Halimah Yacob, MP and Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC, said, having the MM say this is also part of the critical ways in which to gel the population together, for us to tell Singaporeans that there is a future for Singapore. Furthermore, I feel that Singapore is now developing very fast; our economy is expected to do well in the years ahead, our ties with other countries are good and we are steadily being recognised by other countries as one of the leading countries in the areas of technology, service and many other areas. Hence, the MM, who is Singapore's great leader, delivering such a strong message now shows that we are able to move on to the next stage of the country's development and the citizens will be encouraged to strive for the best in whatever they do, be it for the economy or service we provide.
Although it is true that we are a small country and are lacking in resources and manpower compared to other countries, we must not look down on ourselves. We must make our citizens love our country and hence I feel it is very wise for the governemnt to try and develop Singapore into a more beautiful place with lush greenery and waterways. If our country is beautiful and admired by everyone all over the world, it is natural that our people will love Singapore and feel proud of her. This way, Singaporeans will be willing to work hard for the country's future and our nation will go even further. Of course, Singaporeans must also appreciate all the new structural developments that Singapore is about to have. For example, there have been many instances where a new hawker centre becomes dirty just after a few months of opening, especially the toilet. If we are ging to take all the new develoopments for granted, then their purpose will be defeated.
In conclusion, I agree that MM Lee's vision is not an impossible one as long as we Singaporeans work together towards it.
The article states that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had said that Singapore can move from the lower half into the upper half of First World countries in the next 10 to 20 years. I agree that MM Lee's vision is a great one but nonetheless, difficult to carry out. Lush greenery, additional waterways and an even more vibrant social life will be seen in Singapore in the coming years but just as MM Lee said, this only contributes the physical aspect of the transformation. Our people also need to bond together well as a nation and put aside our differences. Most importantly, Singaporeans have to love their country and be willing to give for Singapore.
Many feel it is most apt for the Minister Mentor to paint this new vision for the country now and i agree with them on this. MM Lee is someone who brought Singapore to great heights with his great leadership and just as Halimah Yacob, MP and Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC, said, having the MM say this is also part of the critical ways in which to gel the population together, for us to tell Singaporeans that there is a future for Singapore. Furthermore, I feel that Singapore is now developing very fast; our economy is expected to do well in the years ahead, our ties with other countries are good and we are steadily being recognised by other countries as one of the leading countries in the areas of technology, service and many other areas. Hence, the MM, who is Singapore's great leader, delivering such a strong message now shows that we are able to move on to the next stage of the country's development and the citizens will be encouraged to strive for the best in whatever they do, be it for the economy or service we provide.
Although it is true that we are a small country and are lacking in resources and manpower compared to other countries, we must not look down on ourselves. We must make our citizens love our country and hence I feel it is very wise for the governemnt to try and develop Singapore into a more beautiful place with lush greenery and waterways. If our country is beautiful and admired by everyone all over the world, it is natural that our people will love Singapore and feel proud of her. This way, Singaporeans will be willing to work hard for the country's future and our nation will go even further. Of course, Singaporeans must also appreciate all the new structural developments that Singapore is about to have. For example, there have been many instances where a new hawker centre becomes dirty just after a few months of opening, especially the toilet. If we are ging to take all the new develoopments for granted, then their purpose will be defeated.
In conclusion, I agree that MM Lee's vision is not an impossible one as long as we Singaporeans work together towards it.
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