masterwordsmith-unplugged

This morning, I came across an article in Malaysiakini called Agong: Lies, distortion in new media so I thought I'd repost an updated version of this essay on freedom of speech which I wrote in 2008. I sincerely hope that Malaysians will still enjoy freedom of speech and that we will speak, write and even think with decorum and with respect one for another. At the same time, I hope the authorities concerned will be fair in zeroing in on culprits fairly without showing favor for any party for there have been many cases where one particular MSM made many questionable remarks but yet nothing happened to them. In other cases, for one article alone, a few MSM were given show-cause letters. Above all, may the Almighty impress upon all quarters concerned, a deep sense of honor, justice, integrity, accountability and transparency from hearts that are in touch with their conscience that the rakyat may continue to look up to them as public institutions of good repute. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts or views. Thanks. Have a lovely day!

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Freedom is one of the most precious possessions that we can have. For centuries, men have fought and died for freedom and this is still continuing today. As we all know, there are many in the world who have sacrificed comfort in life and freedom as a result of expressing what is in their hearts.

Freedom of speech refers to the right of the individual to express his views about matters of interest to him/her whilst freedom of the press would refer to the freedom of written word in printed form and that BOTH refer to the freedom of THOUGHT and are the outward expressions of our THOUGHTS.

George Orwell in Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a society where freedom of speech is denied and he argues there as to whether thought is possible without any external stimuli. (For more, CLICK HERE) The long and short of it is that distortion of facts, limiting areas of thought and expression, not only stagnates but destroys the human mind, creativity, potential and retards the development of relationship between man with himself and man with others!!!

Freedom of speech is not the freedom to hurt or harm others. Yet, some in our society who do the latter most insidiously, using others to hurt others be it in the political arena or in society. Personally, I strongly advocate that freedom should stem from a full, creative life which is satisfying for ourselves and can lead to the betterment and growth of society.

The ability to think and to speak are the two abilities that distinguish us from lower life forms. Thus, to me, the denial of these two basic freedoms is a DENIAL OF MAN’S HUMANITY!!! As long as conditions are repressive, thought processes cannot function normally.

A society that muzzles the press and the freedom of opinion may be equated with one that forbids THINKING and in doing so, will pave the way for it to stagnate. There is more to life than physical comfort and the possession of luxury items or non-essential comforts of life. Throughout the ages, man has fought and died for freedom. Like what I mentioned before, freedom of speech is fundamental to the functioning of democracy.

I opine that such types of freedom enable men to make life creative, progressive and meaningful. Stop. Think. Are we at that stage in Malaysia? Think hard.

We must remind ourselves that unfettered freedom is a chimera and can be a danger to the established order and the economic well-being of the country.

Freedom of the press (and the new media) must be used to bring to the fore the views of the public (and not that of the individual), whether they are critical of, or in support of the government; and it can even be a bulwark against government excesses.

Intelligent opinions and constructive criticisms should not be smothered, for such suppression can create a groundswell that is inimical to the government. The MSM and new media must always remember that views that are inimical to the state, if given free scope, can spell disaster e.g. sowing the seeds of discord. All must write responsibly and if they did not, they must apologize or be brought to task. The authorities concerned must always act fairly and consistently to continue to have credibility in the eyes of the rakyat.

History shows that in countries where restrictions were placed on such freedoms, the dictatorial regimes fell. This happened in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan etc. where the rulers insulated themselves against political criticism and this led to their death or downfall.

The people in East Berlin courted arrest in order to preserve those forms of freedom discussed here. Deep thinkers who have freshness of thought and expression, incisive writing, fearlessness, a drive to seek justice etc. would find it absolutely suffocating to be limited by any restrictions. More important than bread or economic well-being is the freedom by which man wants to live.

Click HERE to see the 2009 Worldwide Press Freedom Ranking Index for Malaysia.

I dream of a Malaysia where we have an enlightened government that allows freedom in communication, criticism (with decorum), change and growth and that the government will always remember that by restricting such freedoms to avoid criticism to preserve a static condition, they are actually sowing the seeds for ultimate destruction!!!

To live without freedom is to live in fetters. One’s personality should not be lost in an attempt by certain characters to force one to be subservient to a system or a person. Yet, freedom, when not misused, is a boon.

With freedom, comes responsibility - responsibility in reporting, blogging, speaking and expressing our thoughts. So, the betterment of society depends on the right exercise of freedom which should not be taken away from us in any guise, rhetoric or policy.

It is my hope that the government, together with the rest of society will nourish our freedom of speech that should be exercised wisely while honoring democratic principles and respect for one another. We cannot expect to agree on everything but let us choose to agree on core values and morals including a hatred for corruption and a love for honesty, integrity, moral values, justice, fairness etc. Let us cherish and honor freedom of speech which must not be misused or abused in any way. Let us use it to spread hope, goodwill and bring to light things which must be made known in order that we can have a better society.

Thanks for reading. Do leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts and views. Thanks. Have a lovely evening.

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in their bed. She puts on her robe and goes downstairs to look for him. She finds him sitting at the dining room table with a cup of coffee in front of him. He appears deep in thought, just staring at the wall. She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of coffee.

"What's the matter, dear?" she whispers as she steps into the room. "Why are you down here at this time of night?"

The husband looks up, "Do you remember 40 years ago when we were dating, and you were only 18?" he asks solemnly. The wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring and sensitive.

"Yes, I do," she replies.

The husband pauses. The words are not coming easily. "Do you remember when your mother caught us behind the couch making love?"

"Yes, I remember." says the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.
The husband continues..."Do you remember when she shoved a shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail for 40 years?'"

"I remember that, too." she replies softly. He wipes another tear from his cheek and says "I would have gotten out today."

Life is NOT like a box of chocolates...It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.

Have a great day! Next post will be up soon...Swing by again later ok? Thanks and have a nice day!

I just received the following from my cousin in US and thought I'd share it with you while I write my post on civil society which should be ready after tea-time. I have blogged about the deplorable state of English in many older posts (tagged under Education). DO check it out if you have not read those rants. Please leave a comment if you wish to share your thoughts, experiences or views. Thanks! Take care and have a lovely Monday and a great week ahead!

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO MASTER ENGLISH?

We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
The soldier decided to desert in the desert.
This was a good time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in my clothes I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
I read it once and will read it agen
I learned much from this learned treatise.
I was content to note the content of the message.
The Blessed Virgin blessed her richly.
It's a bit wicked to over-trim a short wicked candle.
If he will absent himself we will mark him absent.
I incline toward bypassing the incline.