There are people who lack a conscience of course. Serial Killers, Rapists, Triad Bosses and other criminals. Criminals not according to the rule of law. Criminals that contravene our essential humanity. Criminals according to the rule of law is well, nearly everybody. Broken a traffic regulation before? You're a criminal. Stole candy from a grocery store when you're 8? You're a criminal. You get my drift.
This Hurt No Others conscience evolves in people as they grow. As they read, understand and explore the knowledge of the previous generations. In short it changes into what many now call philanthrophy. I have a much simpler term for it. I call it Help Others.
So those two principles are what guides me and I guess everybody else. There is also one other leg that we stand on and that is Help Ourselves. Indeed that is my theory. Of course I have no psychiatric training and I don't expect others to accept my theory as the gospel but hear me out at least.
This is what I like to call the three legged stool. And we sit on this stool.
- Hurt No Others
- Help Others
- Help Ourselves.
In many cases when any of the other two stools comes into conflict with the third stool, Help Ourselves prevails. However there are people who let the other two stools prevail. People like Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and other luminaries who have charted the path of their society by their simple, selfless acts. Many of these people also paid for it with their lives which is of course confirms that they place Help Ourselves in the last priority.
With that as the background, I think more people can understand what I write. I do not consider myself in the league of these greats. However, I do what I can do right (and write) the wrongs that happen around me. Wrongs that break no law but break the human code. The code that one should not Hurt Others. That one should Help Others to the best of their ability.
I have full faith in the things I write because I am convinced that me writing them enlightens some people about things that they otherwise wouldn't know. In this nation though, my freedom of speech is worth nothing. After all we are the only "demo-crazy" in the world who puts caveats on the freedom of speech. (And no, I do not consider Singapore a democracy. It is a dictatorship. Benevolent or otherwise, a dictatorship it nevertheless is.)
Quote Article 10, Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
(1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4) -
(a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) all citizens have the right to form associations.
(2) Parliament may by law impose -
(a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of Clause (1),such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence;
(b) on the right conferred by paragraph (b) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, or public order;
(c) on the right conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order or morality.
(3) Restrictions on the right to form associations conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1) may also be imposed by any law relating to labour or education.
(4) In imposing restrictions in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof or public order under Clause (2) (a), Parliament may pass law prohibiting the questioning of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III, article 152, 153 or 181 otherwise than in relation to the implementation thereof as may be specified in such law.
Well we can contrast this with the Constitution of the United States Of America.Quote USA Constituition.
Article the third ...... Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What else is there left to say? We have a flawed Federal Constitution. I pray that those flaws will be corrected and some day we shall truly be free.For freedom, we live. For freedom, we die.
