[h=2]Supporters of pinoy event demonize opponents[/h]
April 20th, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
The Singaporean supporters of the contentious pinoy
celebration at Orchard Road have, very unfortunately, taken to demonizing their
fellow Singaporeans who oppose the event.
Instead of examining the reasons why Singaporeans are against the
celebration, they instead belittle them, put them down, and generally make them
appear to be a rowdy, unseemly lot.
Before we look at this terrible act of demonization, it is worth noting that
the protesters have put forward many reasonable arguments why the event should
not be held as planned.
This is not the place to put forward these well-reasoned arguments. Readers
will come across them readily if they scan the comment threads at the end of
each TRE article on this topic.
Journalist and blogger Kirsten Han said [Link]:
Let’s be frank here. There is no value in this protest
against the Philippine Independence Day celebration. There are plenty of
comments slamming the PAP, but this is not about pushing for more democracy in
Singapore. It’s not about empowering Singaporeans. It’s not even about
problematic immigration policies.
It’s racism and xenophobia, pure and simple. A group of
Singaporeans are getting their knickers in a twist about Filipinos having the
gall to celebrate a Filipino event on our soil, and are employing siege
mentality to portray it as an assault on our identity, our land and our
sovereignty when all they’re really doing is giving their racist and
even fascist views an airing.
Comments left on ‘Say “No” to an overpopulated Singapore’ refer to Filipinos
as “f**king vermin”, “scum”, “shit heads of a third world country” and
“undesirable underlings”. Some are calling for Singaporeans to show up
at the event to make trouble. One guy even called for men to
“put on our number 4s with full battle order” to “surround the
Pinoys”.
These people are not making valid or logical arguments. These people are
racists and xenophobes. Calling for your fellow Singaporean men
to show up in combat gear to target Filipinos is fascism. I
don’t care if these people have Singaporean passports; this is unacceptable
behaviour and it is a shame that we have such people in our
society.
The event is not about the Philippines trying to exert political control over
Singapore. “Two Nations, One Community” is not a Filipino political statement;
it’s just a theme for this celebration they are holding, to indicate that
Singaporeans are welcome if we would like to join in. Mentions of
“interdependence” are not about trying to colonise Singapore. The protesters’
arguments are as hollow as they are disgusting….
Comments that refer to Filipinos as “vermin” and “scum” highlight a much
bigger problem. It reveals to us the number of people who have been swallowed up
by their hate for people who are different from them. The
images some commenters have posted of spraying insecticide (suggesting that
Filipinos are pests or cockroaches) are also alarming; we should not forget that
“cockroaches” was precisely a term used to dehumanise the
Tutsis during the devastating Rwandan genocide that took place
two decades ago. A Hutu radio station had called on people to “exterminate the
cockroaches”, urging their listeners to go out and kill any Tutsis they came
across.
It is not okay to refer to another group of people, whoever they may be, as
“vermin” or “scum”. Such language dehumanises people and makes it much more
acceptable when we treat them differently or badly. It is part of the culture of
abuse and exploitation of migrant labour that exists in Singapore.
It’s not about protecting our nation (which isn’t under threat, by the way).
It’s about not being horrible people. Unfortunately the people
at ‘Say “No” to an overpopulated Singapore’ page don’t seem to see
that.
Then we have Warren Fernandez, chief editor of the Straits Times. In an
editorial yesterday, he calls opponents of the celebration
“intolerant” and “mean-spirited” and their
opposition an “outrageous outburst” and cowardly
“ranting and raving” [Link].
To drive his point home, Mr Fernandez even goes halfway around the world to call
opponents of a similar pinoy celebration in New York City
“xenophobes“.
The ironic question arises: Who is doing the ranting and raving – the
protesters or the good editor himself?
Even letter writers to ST Forum have got in on the act. Jeffrey Law Lee Beng
wrote [Link]:
Once again, xenophobia has reared its ugly
head (“Organisers of Philippine event targeted”; yesterday).
In every society, there are black sheep, and Singapore is no
exception.
It is inappropriate for some Singaporeans to harass the
organisers of a carnival in Orchard Road to celebrate the Philippine
Independence Day and demand its cancellation….
Last but not least, even our own Prime Minister would demonize the people he
governs. In a Facebook post [Link]
yesterday (19 Apr), PM Lee used the words “disgrace“,
“harassed“, “few trolls” (as if these people
are in the minority and are fringe lunatics), “thuggish
behaviour“, “ashamed” in scolding the protesters.
Then, for good measure, he uses the words “sensible“,
“generous of spirit” and “warmly welcome” in
support of the event.
Why do demonizers do it? The reason is quite obvious. It is to give the
impression the demonized are unreasonable, perhaps uneducated and not quite
sane, and generally not to be taken seriously. Ultimately it is to try and
persuade that the demonized are simply… wrong.
However, if one thinks about it, demonizers are usually insecure and their
case is weak, because if their arguments were so strong and persuasive and the
opposition’s so weak, there would be no need to demonize them in the first
place. They could simply tear apart the arguments of the opposition and not have
to resort to demonizing them.
In other words, if they could demolish their arguments, they would not have
to demolish their character.
So dear readers, you must understand that the first and last purpose of
demonization is the demonizer wants to say to you, “Don’t listen to these
people, they are the minority, they are crazy, they are rude and crude, don’t
bother with what they have to say, it is of no value.” It is character
assassination by subliminal message.
If you want to know who is right and who is wrong on this matter, consider
objectively the points made by both sides. Whatever you do, do not allow
yourselves to fall into the trap that demonizers lay for you.
celebration at Orchard Road have, very unfortunately, taken to demonizing their
fellow Singaporeans who oppose the event.
Instead of examining the reasons why Singaporeans are against the
celebration, they instead belittle them, put them down, and generally make them
appear to be a rowdy, unseemly lot.
Before we look at this terrible act of demonization, it is worth noting that
the protesters have put forward many reasonable arguments why the event should
not be held as planned.
This is not the place to put forward these well-reasoned arguments. Readers
will come across them readily if they scan the comment threads at the end of
each TRE article on this topic.
Journalist and blogger Kirsten Han said [Link]:
Let’s be frank here. There is no value in this protest
against the Philippine Independence Day celebration. There are plenty of
comments slamming the PAP, but this is not about pushing for more democracy in
Singapore. It’s not about empowering Singaporeans. It’s not even about
problematic immigration policies.
It’s racism and xenophobia, pure and simple. A group of
Singaporeans are getting their knickers in a twist about Filipinos having the
gall to celebrate a Filipino event on our soil, and are employing siege
mentality to portray it as an assault on our identity, our land and our
sovereignty when all they’re really doing is giving their racist and
even fascist views an airing.
Comments left on ‘Say “No” to an overpopulated Singapore’ refer to Filipinos
as “f**king vermin”, “scum”, “shit heads of a third world country” and
“undesirable underlings”. Some are calling for Singaporeans to show up
at the event to make trouble. One guy even called for men to
“put on our number 4s with full battle order” to “surround the
Pinoys”.
These people are not making valid or logical arguments. These people are
racists and xenophobes. Calling for your fellow Singaporean men
to show up in combat gear to target Filipinos is fascism. I
don’t care if these people have Singaporean passports; this is unacceptable
behaviour and it is a shame that we have such people in our
society.
The event is not about the Philippines trying to exert political control over
Singapore. “Two Nations, One Community” is not a Filipino political statement;
it’s just a theme for this celebration they are holding, to indicate that
Singaporeans are welcome if we would like to join in. Mentions of
“interdependence” are not about trying to colonise Singapore. The protesters’
arguments are as hollow as they are disgusting….
Comments that refer to Filipinos as “vermin” and “scum” highlight a much
bigger problem. It reveals to us the number of people who have been swallowed up
by their hate for people who are different from them. The
images some commenters have posted of spraying insecticide (suggesting that
Filipinos are pests or cockroaches) are also alarming; we should not forget that
“cockroaches” was precisely a term used to dehumanise the
Tutsis during the devastating Rwandan genocide that took place
two decades ago. A Hutu radio station had called on people to “exterminate the
cockroaches”, urging their listeners to go out and kill any Tutsis they came
across.
It is not okay to refer to another group of people, whoever they may be, as
“vermin” or “scum”. Such language dehumanises people and makes it much more
acceptable when we treat them differently or badly. It is part of the culture of
abuse and exploitation of migrant labour that exists in Singapore.
It’s not about protecting our nation (which isn’t under threat, by the way).
It’s about not being horrible people. Unfortunately the people
at ‘Say “No” to an overpopulated Singapore’ page don’t seem to see
that.
editorial yesterday, he calls opponents of the celebration
“intolerant” and “mean-spirited” and their
opposition an “outrageous outburst” and cowardly
“ranting and raving” [Link].
To drive his point home, Mr Fernandez even goes halfway around the world to call
opponents of a similar pinoy celebration in New York City
“xenophobes“.
The ironic question arises: Who is doing the ranting and raving – the
protesters or the good editor himself?
Even letter writers to ST Forum have got in on the act. Jeffrey Law Lee Beng
wrote [Link]:
Once again, xenophobia has reared its ugly
head (“Organisers of Philippine event targeted”; yesterday).
In every society, there are black sheep, and Singapore is no
exception.
It is inappropriate for some Singaporeans to harass the
organisers of a carnival in Orchard Road to celebrate the Philippine
Independence Day and demand its cancellation….
governs. In a Facebook post [Link]
yesterday (19 Apr), PM Lee used the words “disgrace“,
“harassed“, “few trolls” (as if these people
are in the minority and are fringe lunatics), “thuggish
behaviour“, “ashamed” in scolding the protesters.
Then, for good measure, he uses the words “sensible“,
“generous of spirit” and “warmly welcome” in
support of the event.
Why do demonizers do it? The reason is quite obvious. It is to give the
impression the demonized are unreasonable, perhaps uneducated and not quite
sane, and generally not to be taken seriously. Ultimately it is to try and
persuade that the demonized are simply… wrong.
However, if one thinks about it, demonizers are usually insecure and their
case is weak, because if their arguments were so strong and persuasive and the
opposition’s so weak, there would be no need to demonize them in the first
place. They could simply tear apart the arguments of the opposition and not have
to resort to demonizing them.
In other words, if they could demolish their arguments, they would not have
to demolish their character.
So dear readers, you must understand that the first and last purpose of
demonization is the demonizer wants to say to you, “Don’t listen to these
people, they are the minority, they are crazy, they are rude and crude, don’t
bother with what they have to say, it is of no value.” It is character
assassination by subliminal message.
If you want to know who is right and who is wrong on this matter, consider
objectively the points made by both sides. Whatever you do, do not allow
yourselves to fall into the trap that demonizers lay for you.
