Recently, besides the YOG or National Day, the next hottest topics in town were whether death penalty should be void, the resurface of circularising fake notes and a skeptical article on men who carried handbags on their female counterparts' behalf.
Thanks to Hendri's recommendation, I watched Changeling, an award-winning and inspirational show which depicts the ugly and chaotic history of the then corrupted US police. It stars Angeline Jolie who plays a determined single-parent mother, Mrs Collins, who was desperately finding her missing son. She seeks the help of the police who eventually found another boy and claimed him to be her son while defending to redeem the public's confidence in the crumbling police force. Collins finds herself caught between pleading with the police to look for her son again, justifying the new-found boy was not her son and defending the police's undue means to keep the cat in the bag. Towards the end, Collins had help from a Parish Church pastor to bringing a case against the state and freed some victims of federal bully and injustice. The movie finished open-ended. It was a mystery whether Walter, the missing boy, was alive or dead.
Lucky to catch the touching movie coincidental to the debacle on death penalty. The death penalty was codified and sentenced for those who committed capital crimes. These cruel punishment accumulated through history, brutal forms from beheading, crucifixion, consumption of poison, drowning, prosecution by gun, stoning, electrocution to hanging by the neck. While the latter four still in presence, many have raised their brows as they reconsider and debate on the necessity of such inhumane and immoral corporal punishments used on criminals (who are humans after all).
Personal view: I advocate the abolish of the death penalty. Besides the very fact that they are fundamentally inhuman and cruel, the logical rationale to ask ourselves is whether it'd be equitable to take a life who had taken another?
Killing is, unquestionably one of the commonly-condemned sins in the perspectives of most religions. While most fear death, they feel opposite when imposing death upon others. Of the reasons these people provide, it is likely corporal punishment was a fair and just way to penalize the offender.
Well, let me further support my view with another perspective which oppose the above mentioned. We watched the same repeated scene of a savior alerts the avenger at the point when he holds a weapon on his/her revenge-target: "Will death upon this murderer revive the departed loved ones?". In 9 out of 10 movies with the same plot, the avenger comes to his/her senses and loosen the weapon. The audience relieves and cheers. These will be the people who forgive and most probably be in consensus with doing away with the death penalty.
Critics might rebuke, of other times, the injustice done by the murderer was severe and unforgivable. Audience with low tolerance, or should I say, "emotional" stand high chances of taking sides to condem the murderer and hence, supporting "a tooth for a tooth".
Notwithstanding the above, I'm not arguing all punishment unnecessary. Just strongly believe punishment to the flesh should be totally avoided. What about alternatives like life imprisonment? True enough, the loop-side of life imprisonment would be having to allocate more land to house these prisoners. Then again, a true account from an ex-offender revealed imprisonment is torturous. Imagine having nothing to do and captivated in an enclosed, stuffy and smelly (toilet's just beside where you sleep), it is the worst thing that could happen to anyone. It's psychological pain.
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Fake notes...tsk tsk tsk, so dangerous. Now, if you were to ask me, these are the people who might just change my opinion to retain corporal punishment la. Why must one cheat?! Yucks. Worse is it has a domino effect, it's as poisonous as MLM! And cashier, do your job and check properly la. Well, the customer might feel offended when you spend awhile authenticating the note but does the costs outweigh the immediate benefits? I don't think so. Eh, don't circularise too much money, local standard of living is painstakingly on the high side and inflation is unbearable than it was. Let's not aggravate the current situation money-fakers. Else, the repeat of banana-notes occurs and you are the only ones to thank for. It wouldn't take long before my slippers' up your ***.
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Now, *cracks my knuckles*, what's wrong with men carrying handbags for their wives or girlfriends? Let us analyse this, can we?
1) What's your capacity when you judge or "winch" your eyes? I don't remember it's a penal code or clause of international jurisdiction which prohibits man, regardless of reasonableness or rationale, to carrying a ladies' bag. What I'm aware of is the liberty of actions.
2) Mind-openness. If one can be opened to homosexuality, metrosexuality, I bet if say Leonardo or your male- idol offers to do the same, do you stand firm on your biased perspective? *bell ringing*
3) Which part truly bothers you? Touch your heart and employ your conscience before you respond. The man's action or the bag/caring boyfriend you are deprived off? Psychologist reports have shown more than never, we tend to become sarcastic or have our minds generating repulsive thoughts to repel to whatever we are seeing which we oppose. "Taking sourgrapes" would be a classic example. We say things bad about others to feel better.
Come on la, just because a guy carries an LV, Prada or what was mentioned again.. Gucci and you carry an imitation, you stereotype him as an "ah gua". When he looks averagely good but he has a girlfriend, just so happens he carries the handbag and when you look beside yourself and there's nothing but your aching shoulders, you stereotype him as a henpeck or potential hen-peck to be. What is the world of fine ladies and thoughtful gentlemen coming to?
4) Well, if it really bothers you, be gracious. We are gracious Singaporeans living in a gracious society. Smile and think, "wuao, that's a lovely couple" and walk away. The most important thing, be gracious!
