Understand the important issues at stake

My fear of the mindless and unthinking hoards descending onto the Aware EGM is beginning to crystallise. I have scanned through several of the blogs and read the comments of the pro and anti factions to the Aware episode and what came through is that the moral issues were ignored or escaped the interests of the commentators. The issue is now of a Christian group taking over aware in a high handed manner, and this is found offensive. I can only hope that these comments were actually posted by the activitists who have their own private agenda to push and not simply by innocent people taking sides without understanding what the real issues were. There is nothing wrong with a group of activists taking over an organisation within the rules of engagement as long as their intent is honourable. The new exco won the election fairly, or unfairly to some, but this is due to the complacency of the incumbents. No fault of the new exco. They played within the rules and this should not be an issue of contention. The ousted exco can always fight back in the next AGM in the same way, legitimately. By crying foul and bitching around on other issues only reflect badly on themselves. There is no justification whatsoever for the new Exco to resign from their posts. The second issue is that it was a Christian takeover. For those who are less favourable of the religious connotation or have misgivings of Christian groups, this may be offensive and unacceptable. If we are prepared to set this aside, taking the Christian background of the new exco as incidental, and look at what they are standing for, there is another picture to consider. The new exco is awared of their Christian background but has failed to distinguish this from the issues at stake. They should make it categorically clear that it is the issues, secular issues and not Christianity in question, and that they are not there to push a Chrisitian agenda or Christian values but simple human values that transcend all culures, race and religion. What are the issues? Sexual promiscuity and the promotion of certain sexual behaviours and preferences as being normal and healthy. interested parties must look at the content of the Aware CSE curriculum that was taught and adovocated to school children and ask themselves if these are values and behaviours that they are comfortable with, that this is where we should be heading. Some of the things that are taught as normal behaviours are homosexuality, pre marital sex, anal sex, virginity etc. We are a liberal society and many old practices and values relating to sexual conduct and relationship have changed with time. Many things that were forbidden in the past are no longer so. The question is how far are we willing to go as we walk down this path of moral misconduct? Do we want to encourage our children to change the values and all their thinkings and accept the new way of life? Or do we want them to still observe or retain some of these things, or be more discreet about them? To be a little conservative or to be totally liberal about such things is not an issue of absolute right and wrong. And there are preferences by different interest groups and individuals on how far they want to go. What is at stake is, as a society, how far do we want to promote sexual freedom, freedom to choose sexual partners of the same sex, as something normal and acceptable? These are the issues at stake, not how one group took over another group in an association or the colour and creed of the the group. What is important is the agenda and whether the new Exco is promoting their religious righteousness or just some common and universal values. I declare that I am not a Christian or practitioner of any faith. And I am just a normal healthy person.

The power of women

This catfight has hijacked every single issue that we have been discussing. Even the Swine Flu has to play second fiddle to the women and their agenda. See how powerful they are? And everyone, like it or not, interested or not, have been lambasted with this Aware fight. The govt said they did nott want to be involved, but they are involved with the comments of several ministers. The church too is involved indirectly when a Bishop has to come out to make a stand. While the issue is simmering and the pressure building, let's recollect what were the hot issues before this thing erupted. Oh, there was a series of write ups on all the great salary earners, all earning millions as employees. I was wondering what was the agenda, to tell people that it is acceptable and admirable to earn that kind of money? Or to tell people that something is fundamentally wrong, that earning that kind of money as pay is simply atrocious? Or is it paving the ground for more people to ask for more and bigger pay packages? Or is it to say that we are still earning peanuts compare to those big earners in Wall Streets? What is the moral behind the high pay stories? What else were hot? The high HDB prices priced according to the market demand. Now that the private housing prices are tumbling, are we seeing any sign of HDB lowering their prices? No. HDB is not price takers or price followers. HDB is the real market price maker. It determines the prices of public and private housing for the masses, at least 80% of flat owners. HDB is the one that determines the price of public flats and the lower level private flats. All the crap talks about HDB pricing its flats according to the market and private sector is all bull. It is time for HDB to return to its past policies of building affordable flats for the people. Affordable should be defined using the premises of the past, not the current premises when one needs two pay packets and a life time to pay up the mortgages, and for smaller flats. The people shall not be made to pay for a small little space in the air with a big chunk of their income. This is not quality living. In fact the quality of life is declining in terms of space for the family for the money they can buy. The money can be better spent in other areas. Will we see a change in the policies for public housing? Will the people make their feelings on this issue felt in the next General Election?

YPAP Forum canned?

I tried but was unable to access the YPAP forum. It was not even reflected in the main page of the revamped YPAP blog. I think they must have taken it down. With so many unsolicited pornographic material flooding the blog, might as well close it and start a new one. If that be the case, the resident bloggers would left without a home.

Should the Aware EGM be cancelled?

I wanted to post this yesterday but looks like the police have edged me to it. The Changi Expo venue is going to be hot this Saturday. It will be a good place to watch the girls go walking by. Unfortunately the temperature may be too hot for some. The womenfolk are not going there for a party. Some are very agitated, some very angry. Some may be looking for blood, with their claws sharpened. So now the venue is Suntec City. Other than this, nothing changes. And the agenda is not going to be confined to non sensitive issues. It is highly and likely that in the heat of the moment, things that should not be said would be spoken. The danger of the meeting turning uncontrollable is much higher than a bicycle ride in the park. Maybe it is better to stop the meeting from proceeding, allow temperature to cool down, and let a smaller group to huddle in a more conducive place to smoke the peace pipe. At the way both sides are going about assembling their forces, do not be surprised by the turnout. The combatants are not just Aware members mind you. Some are emotionally charged because of their beliefs and convictions. Should it be stopped, or should they be set free to settle their differences?

New technology the decisive factor in next GE

Look at how the two Aware excos went about garnering their supporters! The methodology used is so efficient and effective, without the need for direct campaigning on open lorry tops. The age of the new technology has arrived. And this will be the decisive factor in the next generation. SMS and emails will play a much bigger role than can be expected. A personal email or sms from a candidate can be passed from 10 to 100, to 1000 and keep going in an exponential chain reaction. It will cover a large portion of the electorate or at least reach out to every family through one of its members. The next GE will be fought differently. And sms and emails are not expensive and not the exclusive tools of any party. It will be fair game for all. Then of course the 7/24 blogs and forums will be there all the time, for those who want to read them at their convenience.