Elderly abuse

Singapore has always toted itself as an elderly-friendly country. From ramps at almost every HDB block to the latest series of elderly-friendly traffic lights that extend green-man timings for the elderly, a wave of change has spread all across the nation. Yet a bigger issue lurks not in public, but in private: the issue of elderly abuse.

Many of the esteemed elderly of our country suffer in silence; worse still, a rising trend can be observed in the number of cases reported. Last year alone there were 127 parents who applied under the Maintenance of Parents Act to compel their adult children to provide for their needs, as compared to 109 in 2007 and 79 in 2006. These are only the reported figures; there are a multitude of reasons that prevent many elderly from appealing for help. Some of these reasons include the fear that their children will inflict greater abuse should they find out, or a lack of knowledge with regards to the authorities from whom they can seek help.

Rather than issues that are to be tackled individually, both issues stem from a similar problem: a disconnection between the elderly and society. Should a member of the elderly be actively involved in community affairs or community-wide events neither of the above reasons should apply: being actively involved and having a circle of friends in the community would allow for early spotting of the signs of abuse and for a greater awareness of the relevant authorities to approach for different issues. At the least a friend could be approached for help. Here’s a surprising statistic: although more than 90% of Singaporeans feel that the elderly are well-integrated into society, only 70% of elderly feel the same way. The real issue at hand is this gap, and once it is closed other related problems should subside as well.

How then can we better include the elderly in the daily affairs of our society? This is an issue that laws cannot control; rather, we must seize the time in which citizens are in their 40s or 50s to fully inform them of all that their community has to offer before they progress into their golden years. By keeping them up to date with the affairs of the community we can ensure that these citizens are aware of whom they can approach should they become victims of elderly abuse. At the same time those in charge of community activities must actively spread information about elderly abuse, as keeping them up to date may not be effective enough to shatter misconceptions or educate them about the rights they have as elderly citizens of our country.

Ideally, citizens could be involved in some sort of community activity even before they hit their 60s. This way, not only do we build a ring of protection lent by the community around them, we can also raise the level of citizen participation in their communities, leading to all-round awareness of the dangers of elderly abuse. Besides, having extra friends for companionship can also help to deal with other problems elderly face such as loneliness.

In conclusion, elderly abuse is an issue caused by the gap between the elderly of Singapore and the rest of society; it is only when we take the time and effort to bridge this gap that the elderly can live out the rest of their lives in happiness and peace.

Commentary Test

1. Synopsis
Article: Deaf to the World

This article describes how many people, mostly teens, are so glued to their cellphones or music players that they face a much greater risk of accidents. Reporters conducted a test where they deliberately walked into those sending text messages and rang bicycle bells behind those listening to MP3 players. Majority did not avoid the reporters or hear the bells. However, they were still indifferent to the danger they were putting themselves in. This article raised one of the many dangers of addiction to technology.

2. Commentary
Teens and Tech: The Danger of Addiction

Many teens nowadays are extremely technology-savvy. Before, computer programming language was a thing only for adults; nowadays it is commonplace for 13-year-olds to be proficient in many different styles of coding. Recently, a nine-year-old Singaporean child wrote a program for the iPhone that receives 4000 downloads in less than two weeks. As amazing as this may seem, one soon asks, “Is my teen addicted to tech?”

It is true that the explosion in the advancement of technology over the past decade has brought many dangers to our children. One such danger is cyber-gaming. Recent studies in the US have shown that teens play between 8-14 hours of computer games per week [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_addiction]. Worse, many deaths have been associated with gaming. In 2005, a South Korean citizen named Lee Seung Seop entered a cyber-gaming cafe and played the popular game Starcraft for 50 hours, before going into cardiac arrest. It is obvious that cyber-gaming has the potential to become a major addiction in our children’s lives, possibly affecting their studies and their social life.

Pornography is also another danger. To give you an idea of how addictive pornography is, here are some shocking statistics: Every second, 28 258 web users are viewing pornography and $3,075.64 is being spent on it. The pornography industry is larger than the combined revenue of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo and many other companies [http://www.internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html]. The porn that spreads like a virus over the Internet is more than just a picture of a few models; it is mind-numbing stuff. With the ease of access teens have to the web, it is inevitable that they will stumble across some form of pornography or another.

Even though technology has its dangers, it also has its benefits. Nowadays, students can easily churn out long essays, thanks to the power of the word processor. Before the invention of email, students had to painstakingly type each word with a type-writer or worse, write out by hand. Now, huge 100-page science reports fly around cyberspace effortlessly, saving money, time and trees. The Internet is also an excellent tool for the dissemination of information to the school population; it is now possible to notify students of, say, changes to the rubrics of a project during the school holidays.

Since technology brings about many benefits, how then do we handle its dangers? My policy has always been one word: caution. Always be cautious when it comes to the Internet, or the cell phone. We should aim to inculcate this value in our teens by teaching them the right stuff. Preach the dangers of gaming and pornography to them. You can also establish certain ground rules to prevent addiction from occurring; placing your computer in the living room is a good way to ensure your teen doesn’t do anything suspicious on the Internet. Set time limits on when and for how long your teen should play computer games. In short, keep up to date with advances in technology and keep a cautious eye on your teens. This policy has worked for me, I’m sure it will work for you.

In conclusion, technology has brought teens many benefits but it also brings about many dangers; these dangers can be easily handled if parents of teens keep a close watch on their teens.

Singapore Strays: To cull or not to cull?

I'm sure all of you have seen strays before (or heard them, in some cases). The cats that roam about the streets at night, that topple your rubbish bins, that mate noisily on the roof. Nevertheless, it is an heartwarming sight to see them grooming themselves or mewing happily at the moon.

However, the cat population, when not controlled, can compound and increase out of control: a pair of mating cats can produce up to 324 progeny every 2 years. This can lead to many issues for the public: cats can become rather territorial and will caterwaul and fight at night. They can also scratch or injure members of the public, being overly defensive. Cats will also defecate and urinate freely, creating hygiene problems. Thus, the AVA culls 13,000 cats every year; it has been doing so for the past 20 years.

It is strange to me that our leaders often call for us to be more compassionate, more courteous, but actively continue to cull these innocent cats in large numbers. To quote Ms Geraldine Soh Geok Lian, in her letter to the Straits Times Forums: "As a country with First World infrastructure, the town council's aim of a stray-less Tampines shows Singapore's backward mentality, lacking in the compassion Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wishes to inculcate in our countrymen."

Is mindless culling really the only way to control these animals? I think not. Surely there must be some more humane way to control these furry animals.

Even the government knows this; the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme (SCRS) was established to control the cat population by capturing, sterilising and then releasing stray cats. The AVA even began announcing the success of the scheme and the benefits of sterilisation. However, the AVA issued this statement a few months after announcing the Scheme's success: "The Scheme is not working well, and AVA has received an increased number of complaints related to stray cats [...] the Scheme has been suspended pending further review..." This statement was made in 2003.

So we keep culling cats while we think of a solution? The inconsistency of the AVA leaves me in doubt as to whether they are sincerely concerned about solving this issue in a humane manner.

Surely there must be some way to solve this problem?










http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20051112/051118-2.htm
http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/A92C9FE2-A523-450B-9F62-B3564E699F25/8487/attach52.pdf

Santokh Singh's "Pull a prank, but don't get caught"- Modes of Persuasion

HOW would I have reacted as a father if my sons had been caught streaking on campus?

Reading about some male students getting punished for running naked from one building to another at the National University of Singapore set me thinking, and two other reports on youth provided some background.

I think I would have sat my boys down and lectured them on respecting themselves, respecting the rights of others to their space (and views) and so on. [appeal to personal ethics and character- ethos]

Then I would have knocked them on their heads for getting caught. [use of humour- pathos] (That is something I learnt in the Army – if you pull a prank, make sure you don't get caught.) [appeal to authority- logos]

After which I would have gone to the Hall, and the University, to appeal on their behalf, if it came to that.

Too protective? Too relaxed? Excuse for poor upbringing? [Rhetorical questions- Pathos]

Perhaps, but the other reports in the same three days would have put some of this in perspective. [factual data and statistics- logos]

First, there was the story of a 17-year-old who was an average student, from an average family, with average grades in school.

He was believed to be socially well-adjusted and did not display any signs of violence.

But he went on a shooting rampage at his school, killing 10 schoolmates, three teachers and three passers-by before being gunned down by the police.

That was in Germany on Wednesday.

Average students

Then there was the report of 13 average students, from average schools, and believed to be from average family backgrounds.

They, too, were understood to be socially well-adjusted, until they were caught carrying dangerous weapons to school. Their intention, we are told, was to hurt people in their schools.

That was in Singapore.

So the story of a group of 20-year-olds streaking in their Hall pales in comparison.

Yes, they too were all average students, from average families, and with average grades that helped them qualify for university.

They are also understood to be socially well-adjusted, active sportsmen who did not display any sign of sexually maladjusted behaviour.

Yes, this "group of misfits" went on a streaking rampage, running naked from one hostel block to another in the middle of the night before they were reported to the authorities by some female students.

But all they did was to give some students a view they were not comfortable with. They did not kill, or threaten to kill, anyone.

While no one can tell the future, I do live with some confidence that my sons are not likely to turn out killers or likely to take choppers to school.

But I'm not too sure about the streaking, especially if it is done as part of a Hall tradition or an Officer's Mess ragging session in the Army.

Yes, I do have some confidence in the value systems of my children, and their ability to tell right from wrong.

But I would find it difficult to moralise, let alone punish them with a clear conscience, for something like streaking.

After all, I too had gone skinny-dipping with some friends, though not on our shores, when I was in university. [emotional examples- pathos]

It was not to celebrate any sporting victory nor to drown any sorrow.

It was also not part of a dare.

It was just for the fun of it.

And we didn't get caught or thrown out of university.

[Personally, I would give this a B. Although it pushes the point quite strongly, the use of humour is rather inappropriate, especially for such a major issue.]

What is an exposition?

So, what is an exposition?

Let's talk about rhetorical modes first. Rhetorical modes (also known as modes of discourse) are basically the major types of writing, namely argumentation, description, narration, and of course: exposition.

Let's set some boundaries: it is easy to mix up argumentation and exposition. Argumentation aims to push a point by providing various evidences/logical reasoning that supports the point. Exposition, however, aims merely to discuss a point: to analyse it, to dissect it, to provide various viewpoints.

Some examples of exposition writing are textbooks, research reports etc. It can even be used as a literary technique (although this is a rather dangerous tactic to employ).

Anyway, I'm sure I'll learn more about exposition as the term progresses.

test

testpost.