Can Justice and Mercy Co-exist?

The dictionary meaning of Justice is: the quality of being fair and just. While the meaning of mercy is leniency and compassion shown towards someone. This two meanings are contradictory are with each other thus I do not believe that they cannot co-exist.

The simple reason behind this is that the main reason we have the law is to mete out the required punishment when the offender has committed an offence. Whats is the point of having a justice systems if there is mercy to save them from their punishment. Justice is like a scale to measure thow severe the crime was, with the Judge being the deciding factor on what punishment should be meted out. Before a sentence is passed, the judge would have considered the mental state, the need for self–defence and the circumstances leading to the crime. 

However, mercy is shown to people as a second lease of life for the crime they have committed. It may be because he or she has repented. If this was carried out, there would be no purpose for the justice system. However, if we were to pardon some offenders, we would have to do that to all offenders who have committed the crime and is under the same circumstances. If that is the case all a serious offender needs was to apologise and they would not need to face up to their  punishment.


An example is the Micheal Fay who was punished by the Singapore judicial system to caning even though the US government pleaded with the Singapore government to have mercy on him. This is a standard way that this kind of case or handled by the Singapore government as they believe firmly that one should be punished for the crime that they commit.


Therefore, I firmly believe that justice and mercy can never co exist as mercy is a direct counter to justice.

Intention of Creating Shylock (Term 3 week 5)

I feel that Shakespeare created Shylock with the intention to attract the Elizabethan's attention and evoke sympathy for the Jews. In the past, the Jews were considered as the inferior race by the Christians and were discriminated and insulted. In the book, Shylock who is a Jew was portrayed as a villain, like what the people back then viewed them to be in those days. However, the action done towards him clearly showed a different story in which he was discriminated and abused widely by the people in the court.

In Act 4 Scene 1, when Portia tried to convince him to show mercy towards Antonio, he refused to do so. He replies blatantly by saying: 

My deeds upon my head. I crave the law,
The penalty, and forfeit of my bond.

To the Elizabethans watching the film, this would capture their attention as it was exactly what they thought the Jews were like. Therefore, by creating Shylock, Shakespeare was injecting a sense of realism into the play so that it was applicable to that era. And only by doing so, the Elizabethans would then be attracted to the film. 

At the same time, he also tried to evoke a sense of pity for the Jews. In Act 1 Scene 3, he spoke of  how he was discriminated against by Antonio. He said:
Signor Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances.
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.
You can call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,
And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine ----
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears you need my help.
Go to then! You come to me and you say,
“Shylock, we would have moneys.” You say so! ---
You, that did void your rheum upon my beard
And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold! Moneys is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say,
“Hath a dog money? Is it possible 
A cur lend three thousand ducats?” Or
Shall I bend low and in a bondman’s key
With bated breath and whispering humbleness
Say this:
“Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last;
You spurned me such a day; another time
You called me a ‘dog’ --- and for these courtesies 
I’ll lend you thus much moneys?’

In this speech by Shylock, he was obviously subjected to a lot of discrimination. His daughter betrayed him and ran away, with his valuables. In this story, there many moments where the readers really had to sympathised with Shylock even though he was a "villain". 

Therefore, I think that Shakespeare created Shylock to draw the Elizabethan’s attention and evoke sympathy for the Jews by portraying Shylock as someone who is some sort evil but also being discriminated at the same time.

Do you think that Shakespeare is biased in terms of the portrayal of the main characters in The Merchant of Venice?

I do not think that Shakespeare is biased in terms of his portrayal of Shylock who is as a greedy miser who is selfish. He is portrayed as a evil person with his pursuit of his "pound of flesh". However, Shakespeare evoke sympathy within the readers for Shylock who is being discriminated due to his race. Shylock looked down upon, verbally abused by Antonio in the trial.He is constantly being treated as an outcast. This explains his hatred towards Christianity. Shylock directs it to Antonio for it is Antonio who he has a personal grudge with. 


Apart from that, Antonio who is the "good guy" in The Merchant of Venice is depicted to be someone who is loyal to Bassanio, as he does not mind losing a pound of his own flesh to help Bassanio gain Portia's hand in marriage. While Antonio seemed to be a gentleman most of the story, however, that image of him, is destroyed when he verbally abused Shylock in court.

Therefore, I find that Shakespeare is not biased as he shows both sides of the main characters in The Merchant of Venice.

Term 3 Week 4 (Blogging Assignment)

In my opinion, Jim Rogers' main argument is that in order to survive in this competitive world,we must be able to have a good grasp of many languages. With the rise of wealth in the East, it is important that the children of the West must start immersing themselves in Asian culture, as well as picking up various Asian languages, especially Chinese as we all notice that China is slowly starting to gain dominance over the world. The world is no longer about America being the superpower, as more countries are rising, such as the Middle East, China & even India. 

In order to be prepared for the globalized world we are in, the children of the 21st Century must be immersed in an environment that allow them to get to know foreign people, foreign languages, and foreign lands. English is no longer the sole universal language in the world, America is also no longer the superpower it used to be with funds flowing out of the country as debt faster than the funds flowing in as revenue. The East in this case is benefiting from this as they are the creditors in many cases. If America continues to think that it is still the superpower, it will not be long before they are thrown off the top permanently.  In order to have an advantage in the future, people must start to learn about different cultures & languages so as to be able to interact effectively when the time comes. 


I agree with Jim Rogers' argument. The rise of the dominating East is very obvious for all of us. The growth in economy of Asian countries indicates that there would be more room for industrial development not in the West but in the East.This is the point in time in which the tables are turned towards the West. In order for the people in the West to be able to be effective in the new era with the people of the East, it is a great advantage to know another language as the communication barrier can be easily broken down. Language is a skill that takes years to learn and even longer to perfect, therefore, the earlier you start, the better.Apart from that, childhood is the best time to learn languages as one it most receptive when young, thus making the task much easier.Therefore, by exposing a child to foreign cultures & languages, it will effectively help them be prepared for the future economy.

While some may argue that it has not come to a point where English is gradually being eroded as the medium of universal communication, efforts to expose children to foreign cultures & language is a form of preparation for the future. We cannot forsee the economic growth of the East in comparison with the West. Even if Asian powers are not evident in the future, having an extra language in your communication arsenal is definitely an added advantage. It's better to be safe then sorry.

In the coming years, the more languages you have under your belt, the more versatile you would be in the new economy. In order to develop a good grasp for other foreign languages, children must be exposed to it for long periods of time to aid their survival in a global economy in the future.

Term 3 Week 3

1)

One of the flaws of Singapore system that Janelle Lee mentioned was that it was too rigid and inflexible. This is one point that has came across my mind many times while schooling.

Janelle Lee states in her letter to that the education system promotes a “memorize” don’t “ask” method. This method is widely used in many schools including Hwa chong. The method of teaching can be seen in lessons such as Science and Humanities. The teachers would ask us to just remember the information so that we would be able to regurgitate them on the test day and achieve our much wanted A1.I feel that Janelle has raised an important point in our education system. Our education system today is very much focused on the grades that would determine our future. The easiest way to attain those high grades is to simply memorise the information pack and be able to “deliver” the answers on the day of the exam.

 This should not be the case as we as students should strive to learn as much as we can. Instead of rigidly memorising everything, we should try to discover more by ourselves on the topic which would ultimately help us more as we would not only know the areas that are being tested but also the areas that are strongly relate with our topic.

2)

                I do not think that an ideal education system is possible. Reason being that in order to have an ideal education system, the system should be able to cater to all students.  However, in the education system itself, there would be many different types of students. Therefore it would most likely be impossible to cater to all the children’s needs, thus an ideal education system would not really be possible.

                Though an ideal education system is not possible, we could create an education system that would meet most of the students’ needs and thus helping a large portion of the students.

Term 3 Week 2

When we treat water a human right, we give a status which entitles it to ever single human. However, if we treat water as a commodity, we are treating water a product that can trade and sold among parties, thus making it more exclusive.

In my opinion, I think that we should treat water as a human right. I have 3 reasons to explain my decision.

The first reasllon is that a of us need water to survive. By treating water as a commodity means that we are starting a vicious cycle which only the rich gets the amount of water that they want. On the other hand, the poor only get the meagre amount of water that they can get their hands on.  This would result in a win-lose situation in the favour of the rich

Secondly, even though many people argue that the amount of water gotten depends on how wealthy the person. We should not unfairly treat less fortunate just because they were not born in the same environment as the rich. Therefore, when we treat water as a human right, all of us regardless of background, race or religion will get an equal amount of water.

Thirdly, if we were to treat water as a human right everyone no matter what would get their serving of water. This would relieve many of their water shortage problems for those people who are livening in less urbanized and developed countries. This action however would have a side effect which is that everyone would think that they would always their share of water which would result in them starting to waste water.

In conclusion, all of us should move towards a society that helps the poor or less fortunate with the resources that they cannot get their hands on. Only then, we would advance together to a more wholesome society where all of us benefit from.

Term 3 Week 1 (Blogging Assignment)

I think that this idea may seem good on paper, but it may not really be feasible and productive in real life. The job of a domestic helper is to help with house chores so as to lessen the burden that is on the house owners. However, if we were to give all domestic workers a day off wouldn't that defeat the purpose of hiring a domestic worker?

Even if it is for one day it would cause great inconvience for their employers. Instead, I think that that this idea should be discuss among the employer and domestic workers instead of creating a rule that gives all domestic workers one day off every week. This way, the employer would be able to coordinate in a way that the domestic workers can go off for their rest day when the employers themself are out at work. This way, they can work out a win-win situation in which both of them can achieve what they want.

Letting domestic workers out on breaks also means opening a flood gate for the domestic workers to be harmed out side. As the domestic workers are their employer's responsibility, it is no wonder why many employers do not support the idea of allowing their domestic workers out on weekly breaks.

I think that this initiative should be better planned out before putting into action.

HBL Task 1 and 2

Task 1

About the War:

This poem was written during the Vietnam war, which was a military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies like China and North Korea, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations like the Philippines and Australia. In the end, the communist forces triumphed and the United States' forces withdrew from the Indochina regions.



About the Poet:

Hubert Wilson is a Vietnam War veteran who has served in the USAF security service as a staff sergeant. He was sent to Vietnam where contamination of the chemical "Agent Orange" raged out of control. Since his brain is still functioning moderately well although he has mobility issues due to the contamination, he has decided to turn to writing like his father.



Conflicts:

This poem depicts chemical warfare, which was used extensively during the Vietnam War. This poem focuses on one particular type of chemical, Agent Orange, a code name for a herbicide and defoliant used by the US military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam war. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in approximately 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects. As the effects of this chemical still reign in Vietnam and other parts of the world, the poet reminds us that wars might not be over when they are over.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War

http://y09hci0406.blogspot.com/2010/05/poem-analysis-rainbow-death-by-hubert.html

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow

Task 2

Analysis:

Point of view:

The persona’s voice is very dramatic as he uses exclamations such as “spray!”, as well as the word “WILL” being capitalised. This tone shows the strong connection between the poet and the poem. With these evidences, we can deduce that the persona has personally experienced the Vietnam war, and has been a victim of the Agent Orange contamination. This would thus make the persona a reliable source of information.

Situation and Setting:

There is a military conflict between the communist forces and anti-communist forces in Vietnam at this point in time. The usage of dangerous chemical warfare was chaotic. This was portrayed by words like “potpourri”. The function of the Vietnam War setting is to show the effects of the various chemicals on the people.  This is significant as the poet conveys that the effects of war will not die out even when the war is technically over. This encourages readers to maintain peace and security to prevent such misfortunes

Language/Diction:
The poet uses end with rhymes every two lines, for example "price" and "twice" of the third and fourth line, as well as "astray" and "pay" of the ninth and tenth line respectively. Also, these words are usually negative, in the context of the poem. Assonance of the “o” sound were used  in words like “mourn”, “potpourri” and “unborn”. The poet is trying to highlight that war is negative and that people should not have wars. War would destroy the "innocent and unborn" and cause millions to suffer. The assonance of the “o” vowel sound is like mourns of pain of the innocent people who suffered during the war or due to the chemical contaminations. This emphasizes on the sadness and pain of war. The title of the poem, "Rainbow Death" is quite self contradictory as raindows are happy objects while deaths are sad subjects. However, the real meaning of rainbows in the context of the poem would be death through contamination which has colours of the rainbow.

Personal Response:

I feel that the poem can evoke the feelings of the readers really well because of the effective use of words. The poet emphasizes a lot on the negative aspects of war. He also questions readers whether they are "thinking twice", making use of rhetorical questions to evoke thoughts and emotions of the readers. With successful use of literary devices, the poet has successfully showed the ill effects of war.

Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Write a short essay of about 300 words on the following question:

'Students should be given more freedom in deciding school rules.' What are your views?

Post your essay on your blog. This will be a good practice for your common test. Think about what I've taught you about writing a good essay.

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School rules are conduct which the student of a particular school has to follow. Various reason are behind the rules, some reasons maybe; to uphold school reputation, to prevent students from going astray and many more. Students in the schools have a different view. The student thinks that these rules are too restrictive, and think that by deciding on their rules would benefit them better. However if we allow the students to decide on the school rule, they would decide it based on their interests, thus I think that students should not deciding on the school rules is for the greater good.

Students in schools always claim that the rules restrict their freedom. One good example would be the school uniform. All schools in Singapore have a uniform which is compulsory for all their students wear. Students say that by wearing the same uniform as each other restrict their personality. However in the school point of view, by wearing a uniform shows that you are part of the school, you are all equal and finally you are all committed to the same cause. By wearing the same uniform also reduces unnecessary distractions to the pupils. Therefore wearing a common school uniform will benefit the pupils more.

Another school rule that is commonly debated on is the issue of punctuality. Everyday, there are bound to be people late. When reasons are asked for, they would cook up some that are ridiculous such as “The road leading here is jammed.” Or “My parents woke up late so they sent me here late.” These reasons cannot be accepted as they are depicting one that is pampered and spoilt. The main reason for having a school rule regarding punctuality is because the school wants to instill the habit of being on time in the student. Being on time is very important now and later on when we start working. When student enter the working world, being late will not just result in a few demerit points, instead it may lead to deals not being closed, leaving a bad impression and finally tarnishing the company’s name. Thus, by having a rule on punctuality would benefit the students now and later on in their lives.

Students being the ones studying in the schools will obviously want to have the best of both worlds. They would like their school to be a conducive environment to studying in, and a comfortable environment. Following these two wants, they would if given the opportunity to decide on their own school rules, would surely mould it in a way that it would benefit them. With the children having this mindset, would they be able to decide on the right rules? I do not think so. That’s why the school management must come in to decide on the school rules. The school management community knows what is good for the students, and it is their duty to make sure that that happens.

In conclusion, I think that it is a necessity to compromise some of our freedom to achieve a higher level of success in our students. The rule system in Singapore is decided in a way that order will be preserved in the studying environment. To me restrictive triumphs over disorder, what do you think?

War Photo

In this lesson, you will be exploring the theme of 'war'.

View the slideshow of war photos (the link below). Choose one photo and describe the photo. Your descriptive piece should focus on the mood and atmosphere of the photo chosen. Your objective is to evoke emotions of your reader through the description of the mood and atmosphere of the picture.

Your descriptive piece should be about 250 words long.

Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8492000/8492777.stm

Post your work on your blog.

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                 A camera is a tool that would be able to capture a moment that would last for all eternity. I chose this picture from the slide show because I think that it has been through a lot when it was used to photograph the war.

                Now, this camera is all the photographer, Don McCullin, have left as a memento of his job as a war photographer. The camera tells its own story. The story depicted a scene in which life was much more chaotic, more violent than the one we know now. Imagine the camera you are holding has been hit by an AK47 bullet, missing your head by merely a few centimetres, would that affect you, I think so.  The exterior of the camera is very battered showing that it has been through a lot. The camera is some sort similar to Don McCullin, its exterior is spoilt but what it took picture of was of a worst condition, just like Don McCullin. Though he was injured on the outside, what he saw in the war-plagued country will stay with him forever.

                Throughout the slide show, Don McCullin was narrating his story where he went to many wars to take pictures, in his voice, there was a discernable tone of relief and sadness. This may also be what the camera was “feeling” when the war ended, it was relieved that it did not need to go and photograph the war anymore, however at the same not wanting to remember what it photograph.   

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

18 April 2011

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

You have read about the nuclear crisis in Japan; you have also probably read about the nuclear crisis that happened in Chernobyl in 1985.

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

Write a response of about 250 words in length. Post it on your blog.

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 Deadline: 18 April 2011 (Monday)

           

              

                Nuclear energy definitely has a part to play in this energy-based world. We mostly depend on fossil fuels for a majority of the earth’s energy. However, fossil fuel and coal is limited on our earth. If we continue to burn fossil fuels and coal, one day they would all run out. Though hydroelectric energy and solar energy is an alternate source for renewable energy, they are not constant unlike nuclear energy which has been for 40 years.

                With the recent incident in Japan in which the Fukushima Dai-Chi Power Plant exploded due to the earthquake and the tsunami definitely has once again started the debate whether nuclear energy is more harmful then good to the world that we are living in. In the case of the nuclear plant incident in Japan, radioactive substances such as radioactive iodine and cesium are being leaked all over the world. Though radioactive iodine those not last long in the environment, it may cause typhoid cancer if absorbed by typhoid gland.On the other hand, radioactive cesium will remain in our environment for a longer period of time.

                However in Chernobyl in the year 1986 the cause of the earthquake was due to a sudden surge in output which caused an explosion. The explosion caused released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over to Western Russia and Europe. The Chernobyl disaster was considered by many as the worst nuclear power plant accident in all history. The explosion cause the people living nearby to evacuated. An example of this incident is the city of Pripyat, after the evacuation, the town was left deserted till now.

In conclusion, I think that nuclear energy has its own advantages, however we should not bank on it as an alternate source unless we can have a fool-proof method of preventing any disastrous accidents. Therefore, I think that nuclear energy should not play a part in the current world due to its many risks, but I do not rule out the possibility of it becoming an alternate source in the future.            

               

Informal Letter

27 Sailor Road

4/4/11

Dear Mum,

How are you? As you may have known, I experienced an 8.9 earthquake in Japan recently. Please do not worry as I am fine living at a temporary shelter. On the day of the earthquake, I was coming home from school when the ground started to shake. Knowing that an earthquake was forthcoming, I quickly sprinted towards my hostel and crouched beneath a sturdy dining table.

A few of the people were already there. After an hour, the earthquake died down. My friend and I came up from underneath the table. Part of the hostel roof collapsed, but luckily none of us were injured.  As we gathered together to listened to the radio for further news, we found out that a tsunami has hit north-east of Tokyo.

After a couple of hours more, the authorities gave us the green light to come out of the buildings. When we came out, I saw buildings destroyed, and cars wrecked. We were then evacuated to a safe area where temporary houses were then set up. From there, we found out that the earthquake was not the worst disaster. The tsunami was the disaster that hit Japan the hardest. It almost hit the whole of Japan. From the short clip shown on the television, we show ships and boats being washed away as though they were nothing.

 I am now living with people who were also impacted by this disaster. Though the death rate increases every day, we are still living our lives without any theft or crime. I do not think that this would happen in other countries under the same type of situation. As we have little food and water, life has been very hard on us.  

Although we are still feeling the aftershock of the calamity, I am confident that the Japanese being a discipline group of people will be able to rebuild their beloved country in the very near future.

Your Son.