F - the saga

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I muse at the recent saga by the NTU valedictorian, Trinetta Chong, who muttered the 'F-word' towards the end of her speech and got into a lot of media outrage, from as usual from parents who became oversensitive over the use of such words.

I become very buffled by such reactions normally. People don't seem to complain when movies are screened with profanities and such. But when a girl sprout off just one, just one, and people come jumping with their face red saying this is not correct. Movies with profanities, if I am not mistaken, are generally M-18, which are around the age of the attendees in this kind of ceremonies. Why hasn't anyone complain with such intensity and passion? Is it because parents refuse to believe that the kids they have breed are capable of such profanities? If so, I have bad news for parents and the public, if you are concerned, you should not send your kids to schools, allow them to step out of the house, deny them the right to television, internet and books, violate the law by keeping them away from NS (applicable for guys) and stop them from working.

And I think there are more things that parents should be worried about other than the swear word. I sometimes would imagine, if I sprout the f-word in church, I would be immediately chastised but the same passion would not be seen when it comes to the lost, when it comes to God's kingdom. But I shall not bring in the church at this moment. The truth is that there are more things in life to be intense and passionate other than a young girl sprouting the f-word. What is this compared to the rest of the issues we should be concerned about? What does it reflect of our current generation?

That's why I like Rohit Brijnath's article today in Straits Times on 'I swear, it's not the worst you could say'. To quote from the article, "...but as speech goes, there is more in life that offends me. It rests way below race-baiting, it does not outrage like sexism does, it is not as disturbing as religious hatred. All this can be spoken of in fine language, but elicits a sharper disgust. Personal attacks on television, in blogs, even in letters I receive, are to me far worse than a quickly bleeped-out word."

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