Paint Stains

Any Dungeons & Dragons gamers reading this? I just found reference to the MP3 downloadable from this URL: http://members.shaw.ca/sojourn.of.strangers. It's funny�a love song for gaming geeks. And it touched me deep.

This weekend was one for staging anti-war demonstrations and protests in various countries around the world...AND NOTHING HAPPENED IN SINGAPORE. The next bit of info may make you laugh: In Singapore, you need to apply for a permit from the government in order to demonstrate. It's kind of hard to buckle the perception that Singapore is a police state (a very rich and advanced one) when we have pathetic laws like this one.

So, on Saturday, yesterday, a measly SIX people turned up in front of the local US embassy for Singapore's anti-war protest (sans permit), greatly outnumbered by the policemen who'd gotten wind of the electronic messages buzzing around telling people to turn up (I did not get it). And four out of the six who turned up were cowed by the police, and promptly gave up their [sarcasm]courageous[/sarcasm] anti-war demonstration. The two demonstrators who stuck to their guns were two young Muslim women who spoke quite bravely to the cameras, and they were, quite frankly, the only people I felt any sympathy for in the whole pathetic event.

What I am very disappointed in: that I could not see more (if any) local participation in what must have been the largest and most widespread mass demonstration on the planet in history. The friends and family I have are not an apathetic lot, perhaps we've all traveled too much and feel stronger connections to the World Out There than most. We're not keen on the war, on any of the impact that it WILL have outside of Iraq as well as in. But I fear, and it's been demonstrated before this, that Singaporeans are mostly apathetic. And now, I think I can fairy add "cowardly" to that. I know most people here are against the war (those that care or follow world news at all, not to mention the one-fifth of the population that is Muslim)...why was the turn-out for the demonstration so pathetic?

Currently listening to:
MP3s

Currently reading:
Nothing.

Currently working on:
Another headache.




	Paint Stains The journal of Janet Chui, starving artist. Home Get Email Updates www.DEADFAERIES.com Jason's Journal Admin Password Remember Me 3817 Curiosities served Share on Facebook				2003-02-16 11:30 PM Make love, not war (Not sappy, really.) Previous Entry :: Next Entry Mood: Content Read/Post Comments (2) Any Dungeons & Dragons gamers reading this? I just found reference to the MP3 downloadable from this URL: http://members.shaw.ca/sojourn.of.strangers. It's funny�a love song for gaming geeks. And it touched me deep. This weekend was one for staging anti-war demonstrations and protests in various countries around the world...AND NOTHING HAPPENED IN SINGAPORE. The next bit of info may make you laugh: In Singapore, you need to apply for a permit from the government in order to demonstrate. It's kind of hard to buckle the perception that Singapore is a police state (a very rich and advanced one) when we have pathetic laws like this one. So, on Saturday, yesterday, a measly SIX people turned up in front of the local US embassy for Singapore's anti-war protest (sans permit), greatly outnumbered by the policemen who'd gotten wind of the electronic messages buzzing around telling people to turn up (I did not get it). And four out of the six who turned up were cowed by the police, and promptly gave up their [sarcasm]courageous[/sarcasm] anti-war demonstration. The two demonstrators who stuck to their guns were two young Muslim women who spoke quite bravely to the cameras, and they were, quite frankly, the only people I felt any sympathy for in the whole pathetic event. What I am very disappointed in: that I could not see more (if any) local participation in what must have been the largest and most widespread mass demonstration on the planet in history. The friends and family I have are not an apathetic lot, perhaps we've all traveled too much and feel stronger connections to the World Out There than most. We're not keen on the war, on any of the impact that it WILL have outside of Iraq as well as in. But I fear, and it's been demonstrated before this, that Singaporeans are mostly apathetic. And now, I think I can fairy add "cowardly" to that. I know most people here are against the war (those that care or follow world news at all, not to mention the one-fifth of the population that is Muslim)...why was the turn-out for the demonstration so pathetic? Currently listening to: MP3s Currently reading: Nothing. Currently working on: Another headache. Read/Post Comments (2) Previous Entry :: Next Entry Back to Top