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"More Leave Home To Flee Gambling Debts" by Amad

Are the casinos in Singapore bringing more harm than good to us? Yes, it does increase job opportunities and the number of visitors to Singapore, but at what cost?

Positively, legalising casino gambling generally boosts Singapore’s tourism industry which suffered a drastic slowdown in recent years. In turn, it increases job opportunities and Singapore’s national product (by collection of tax revenue by the government). Also, it can hamper the growth of underground activities. Without casinos, gamblers might turn to illegal gambling dens to satisfy their needs. Some just think the ambience found in casinos provides a place to relax and enjoy, especially for retirees who have plenty of leisure time.

On a negative note, gambling may lead to more serious social problems like bankruptcy, excessive debt burden, prostitution, more loansharking activities, family violence and even suicide. According to the attached article, more Singaporeans are running away from home after losing and borrowing large amounts of money at the casinos.

In my opinion, the main concern is not that the problems will emerge as gambling is already a common past time activity for Singaporeans. I believe that the casinos set up in Singapore leads to greater severity of the social problems.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_684462.html
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"New York Legalises Same-sex Marriage" by Amad

Homosexuality is becoming a common thing nowadays. I am not surprised when I read this article. More states in USA are legalising same-sex marriages, or gay marriages, and this shows that many are starting to approve of it.

Personally, I do not object to the legalisation of gay marriages. Undoubtedly, homosexuality has caused a lot of furore all over the world mainly because most religions forbid it. Another reason is the health risks that homosexuality brings, especially through promiscuity.

“It Gets Better” is a project founded in 2010 in response to the suicides of gay teenagers who were bullied by their peers for being gay. This project, in my opinion, made people understand more about the gay community. I was really moved when I read about the suicides of gay teenagers and so I am in support of this project. I believe everyone has the right to choose his or her sexual orientation as long it makes them happy.

Many celebrities have come clean about being gay. Adam Lambert, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, and the late Freddie Mercury are just some of the names. Perhaps, celebrities like them are the inspiration for gays all over the world to not hide and just be themselves.

http://www.todayonline.com/World/Worldinbrief/EDC110626-0000079/New-York-legalises-same-sex-marriage

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"New Media Manners" by Amad

It is true that the advanced technology leads to having bad manners. It is hard to find a person without a phone nowadays. Phones now are not only used for texting or calling, but even social networking. Of course, there is nothing wrong with them. It is just a matter of when you use it.
The “new media manners” have resulted in people being more interactive through electronic communications. Many have developed the habit of frequently texting and updating their status on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to the extent that they do so inappropriately. Nowadays, we can easily find people texting and updating their status in classes, meetings, weddings and other places which are not suitable. Doing as such shows a lot of disrespect.
Other than lack of respect, the “ new media manners” cause people to lack sincerity in conveying messages to other people. For example, saying ‘Thank you”. It is obviously more sincere to say “Thank you” face to face.
Lastly, frequent updates on your life online gives people a look inside your private life. I personally do not feel comfortable giving a minute-to-minute update on my life. I do not understand how people can post online about the minor things they do like eating and watching television. I also think it is senseless to frequently update people on your life.
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"Are Singaporean youths politically apathetic?" by Amad

I believe that MOST youths in Singapore are not politically apathetic, especially after the recent General Election.  General Election was a hot topic, resulting in Singaporeans of various ages discussing it. I was surprised at the fact that many youths were actually interested in the General Election, and also at the knowledge they have on it. Singaporean youths may not be of legal age to vote, but their opinions on the General Election were very mature. 
I feel that this year’s General Election really drew me into Singapore’s political affairs. Somehow unlike previous years it was not dull, which probably caused attraction from youths. Without a doubt, the most notable attraction of this year’s General Election was Nicole Seah, who was the youngest female candidate to stand in the election. While the General Election is not for the youths to vote, it can be a way of educating youths on Singapore’s political affairs. This way, youths can be more aware of Singapore’s political affairs.
Perhaps, the voting age could be lowered so that youths can have a hand in deciding Singapore’s future. I think youths nowadays are more matured in their thinking. They do know what is best for them and will vote sensibly. 
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"Help old folks to age with dignity" by Blandina

Recently, two staff members at the Nightingale Nursing Home flung an elderly woman onto the bed and slapped her. Their disgusting actions were recorded on the security camera and broadcasted on the news. I was shocked by the mistreatment received by the elderly patient. The caretakers should be more willing to care for the elderly instead of mistreating them, which I find it totally unacceptable.
Very often the case whereby senior citizens are transferred to nursing homes as there is no one to look after them. It is devastating for them to be separated from their families and having to rely on volunteers to meet their basic needs. Are senior citizens not human beings? Do they not deserve some respect and pride? I believe everyone deserves to be respected regardless of their age.
As Singapore faces an aging population, there is a need to have more nursing homes for our old folks. I feel that more effort should be done to care for the elderly and prevent them from getting abused. There is a need to raise awareness on this matter and I believe the government should take serious action for any abuse cases reported. This is to ensure that such cases are not repeated.
Nursing homes should provide intensive trainings for nurses and caregivers to improve their services provided. It is also advisable to build a hospital near the nursing homes so that the elderly would be well taken care of in the event of any unfortunate incident. The facilities can be shared between the hospital and nursing homes to reduce medical expenses.
Everyone should do their part in helping the old folks live with dignity. As children, think about how you have treated your parents and grandparents in the past. I believe there were times that we were rude to them. The least we can do now is to make amends by showing them respect and taking good care of them be it in sickness or in health.
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_683249.html
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Are Singaporean youths politically apathetic? by Nur Hazimah


Singapore youths are not politically apathetic. In fact, many of my friends are aware of what is going on during The General Election 2011 period which was once a big topic in Singapore. The General Election 2011 was significant to me as this was the first time I actually understood how the election works. Many of my friends attended the GE rallies, and seeing them actively following updates of the GE 2011 motivates me to find out more about the big commotion. Some of my friends even blogged about their dissatisfaction of the elections results. Furthermore, the youngest candidate from the opposition party, Nicole Seah, caught a lot of attention from the youths as we were very interested to hear her speaking up for Singapore youths.

GE would definitely affect those under the voting age, in fact, everyone in Singapore. GE lets citizens place their trust in their chosen party’s capabilities. The decisions made by the winning party would in one way or another, affect those who are still schooling. I do not think that the voting age should be lowered. At 18, youths may not have reached the level of maturity where they can make rational decisions which are good for the country.

The GE 2011 did have an impact on me. I realized that I need to be more aware of political issues in Singapore, as in years to come, it would be my turn to have a say in this issue. In order to raise political awareness in young people, I would suggest making use of social-networking sites such as Facebook and creating a group page where youths can interact and share their opinions. More of youth portal sites such as youth.sg that was mentioned could also bring political awareness as youths are tech-savvy.
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Are Singaporean youths politically apathetic? by Blandina

I do not think that Singaporean youths are politically apathetic except the younger ones in lower secondary. I believe those who are at least 16 years old and above are actually quite aware of what is going on during this General Election 2011. The General Election 2011 is rather significant to me as I was impressed by the strong opposition.
Through the news and Temasek Reviews, I started to understand the importance of democracy in a country. Youths are starting to take part in election. An example would be Nicole Seah, the youngest candidate in the election. This shows that youths are hoping to have a say in the parliament as well.
The General Election 2011 will affect those who are under the voting age. As some decisions made by the leaders would affect everyone, including those who are still schooling. Although youths now are more concern about the politics, I still feel that the voting age should not be lowered to 18. People who are 21 make a better judgement on political issues. There is also a difference in terms of maturity. Thus the voting age should remain at 21 and above.
The General Election 2011 did have an impact on me. I feel that it is important to know which party will be able to meet the needs of its people. The party that has been chosen will also affect our future.
To raise public awareness of young people today, the government should hold a campaign that allows youth to know about The General Election. One way is to encourage youths to read the newspapers regularly for them to have a basic understanding about the political issues. Schools may want to set up an online forum to allow students to share their opinions towards the political issues.

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"Are Singaporean youths politically apathetic?" by Liew Wei Qi

I feel that youths in Singapore are not politically apathetic. In the General Elections this year, there are many youths discussing the topic on who they will vote for if they were given the chance to vote. The GE 2011 is very significant to me as this was the first time that a General Election interests me. During the days before the GE started, I will always go to Yahoo! News to read about it. There are many interesting topics like Singapore’s youngest PAP candidate, Ms Tin Pei Ling, and whether the Worker’s Party will win in terms of the number of votes for Aljunied GRC.
The GE will definitely affect those that are under the voting age. This is because whatever decisions made by the government like increasing housing prices and construction of new MRT lines will be experienced by youths in future.

I don’t think the voting age should be lowered. Although youths now have interest and opinions in the GE, youths are easily manipulated and this can cause the GE to be monopolized. Imagine if a gang of youths influenced their friends to vote for a specific party, peer pressure will cause them to vote for a party they do not want. Hence the votes for the GE will be inaccurate, affecting Singapore in the future.

The GE has an impact on me. Through the news I had read during the GE 2011, I realized that there are many political concerns that I never thought of before. Example, why there is high housing prices in Singapore and the consequences if the housing prices is lowered. Previously, I will just put the blame on the government for high housing prices. Now, I will think about the issue in the government’ s point of view.

The GE had raised a lot of political awareness in youths. I believe it is mainly due to the Internet, news on TV, radio, and even newspapers. More political awareness could be raised if schools can hold a forum to allow students to share their honest comments on the GE to other school mates. A political awareness campaign could be held to encourage Singaporean youths to know more about the GE.
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"Are Singaporean Youths Politically Apathetic" by KaiYan

I don’t think that Singaporean youths are politically apathetic. General Election (GE) 2011 was significant to me. In the past, I would rarely attempt to watch the news. But during the GE period, I would watch the news almost every day to be updated about the GE news. It had been a hot topic among Singaporeans, including the youths. My friends and I had also discussed on the election issues as well. There are many interesting candidates like Low Thia Kiang, Nicole Seah and Tin Pei Ling; this year’s GE was more exciting than ever. The young candidate, Nicole Seah caught my attention. The way she speaks, whether during rallies or during interviews, brings across the message that she just wants the best for Singaporeans. She is able to convince people with the way she speaks.

Yes I think that GE will affect those who are under the voting age. There is a chance that the MP of the area will change. It might change the system of that area, affecting the youths. I think the voting age should be lowered from 21 to 18 to engaged youths in politics. They would be more aware of the things happening around them as they have a part to vote. There are many sources that have information regarding the GE like the Internet, newspaper and television. Youths could easily grab hold of the latest news feeds.

I think there should be a news channel on famous social websites like Facebook and Twitter. Since youths visit these websites often, it is easier for them to be updated on the latest news feeds thus, more engaged in politics.
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"New Media Manners" by KaiYan

I think that only the minority do not mind their manners as much nowadays because of social media. Sending an SMS to inform your friend that you will be late isn’t impolite. Of course it is better to call but sending a SMS is good enough. Majority of the people do take note of what is right and what is wrong to do on Facebook. People should not post things that are offensive to their friends on Facebook or Twitter, as this would hurt their friendship.
Declaring your love or breaking up with your partner on Facebook, twitter or through SMS is also not acceptable. This would show that you are insincere and do not have the guts to tell the person face to face. When you are out with your friends, it is okay to use Facebook, Twitter, SMS or email but not too often. Students should also not use mobile phones during lesson time as he/she might not be able to pay attention in class.
It is only acceptable for the boss to send a text message late at night if it’s regarding important matters. If your boss wants to be your friend on Facebook, you should accept it. Personally, I would not mention any work related things on Facebook to avoid any conflict. Employees should not use mobile phones during meetings as it is very rude to the speaker. It would also affect the employee’s performance as he/she did not pay attention to what was mention in the meeting. 
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