I remember crying when I first read that poem many years ago - it changed my life and made me realise that it is not the PAP's fault that they do what they do. It 's ours - we not only allow them but keep rewarding them with our votes even when we see gross injustice done to fellow Singaporeans. We choose to ignore what must go against our moral values. I do not have a chance to change that this time round - I can only hope that those who are given a choice choose with moral courage. You will never know when it can happen to you. May I grace this thread with another poem, this one is by a Singaporean: HANDING OUT THE HATCHETS They handed us some hatchets yesterday,
And warned of evils locked beyond the bounds.
We're taught to wield, to hack and not to stray,
Lest we fail to protect the village grounds. We're told to split the skulls of alien hounds,
Before they sniff the dirt out in our bins,
And slash the throats that make the pity'ng sounds,
Because they'd justify those foreign sins. A few recoiled from thought of blooded skins,
But those in charge condemned these fears extreme,
And passed a pail of blood for all to rinse
Their hands; to spread the stain; to forge a team. I wield the hatchet fearing knocks at night,
But knowing well I share the guilt, the blight. Dec 95
Edited 03/05/2006 01:39 ET by Htolas |