Recent Natural Disasters

Recent Natural Disasters

7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia and triggered tsunami

On 25 October 2010, 9:42 PM local time, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It was felt by many across the provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that struck the Mentawai Islands. 10 villages on the islands were swept away by the tsunami which reached a height of 3m (9ft,) destroying houses and buildings, taken the lives of over 100 people and leaving many more missing. Early warning systems were installed following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which occurred along the same fault. According to officials, even though one of the sensors failed but it did not harmed the system’s operation. However, the epicenter of the earthquake was so close to the islands that a warning would probably be too late in any case to effectively evacuate villagers to safer grounds.

Whenever I read about natural disasters that hit countries around the world, I feel blessed to be living in Singapore where natural disasters rarely occur. In 2004, the massive earthquake and tsunami hit 14 countries in Asia, including neighbouring countries Malaysia and India, but Singapore was totally unaffected.

I was struck by the physical damage and emotional trauma that natural disasters, like earthquakes and tsunami, brought about. Many were left without a roof over their heads but besides that, countless families were broken by these natural disasters that killed many who could not escape from the clutches of death. The feeling of losing a loved one is indescribable. Although one may eventually come to terms with it, but the grief and loss that they go through is not something that everyone can understand and feel unless they really went through the same ordeal. For those missing victims’ families, it would feel like an endless wait for their family members to return home. With each passing day, the hope that missing victims could be found diminishes a little, until eventually searching work stops and the families could only pray that they survived and return home soon.

We do not experience earthquakes, volcano eruptions, drought, blizzards, hailstorm, sand storms, hurricanes or other natural disasters, due to our geographical location. Many of us would not realise how blessed we are, until we read about the natural disasters around the world. I hope that when people read about natural disasters that struck, they would be reminded of how fortunate they are to be living in Singapore.

link: BBC article on Sumatra earthquake and tsunami

Bullying in schools

Bullying in schools

I came from one of those top girls’ schools in Singapore but I had witnessed bullying in school. Every year, almost every class has an outcast. Sometimes it is a few girls. I have friends that had been bullied, and friends who once bullied people. For those that were bullied, they were targeted because of their looks, they had few friends, and/or they do not report the matter to an adult when bullied. Those that bullied people, sometimes they just do it for entertainment, to get attention, or to show that they can get away with doing what they want.

When I was in primary six, 3 of my classmates would constantly bully this other girl in class. It started with kicking the girl’s chair because the 3 girls were sitting in the row behind the girl being bullied. After some time they started calling names, pulling her uniform and hair, and pushing her on to the floor. The girls got bolder each time they bullied that girl. There were times when they tore her worksheets and notebooks, poured water on to them or throw it into the dustbin. They also poured water on the girl’s school bag and on the girl as well. Other classmates did not stop the girls as they were afraid of being targeted. Sometimes I would shout that a teacher was coming down the corridor so as to scare the bullies and stop them from continuing. When a teacher enters the classroom, the 3 girls would pretend that nothing happened and return to their seats. I think the matter was eventually reported and the bullying stopped but imagine the emotional trauma that the girl being bullied went through.

If you have no way of avoiding the bullies that bully you every day, how would you feel? When we go to school, we go there to be taught the right values, gain knowledge and make friends. However, for those who are constantly bullied, they go to school in fear, unsure of what would the bullies do to them each day.

In some cases, those being bullied become a bully themselves. They bully others to release the emotional baggage in them. However, it is not the right way to handle it as it will only be a vicious cycle that continues. Bullying must be stopped. When bullying happens and nobody stops them, the bullies would only be encouraged. Bullying gives them a ‘sense of achievement’. I would not consider or accept such behaviour as an achievement. It should not be at the expense of someone.

For any cases of bullying in school including extortions, forcing victims to run errands, do homework etc, the worse thing to do is keep quiet. The bullies would only take advantage of your weakness. Not only that, they might start bullying more and more people. By telling someone about the situation, further cases of bullying can be prevented and the bullies can be counselled. It is important to understand the reasons behind bullying because sometimes, they just want to get attention. Everyone has their own troubles and sometimes all they need is a listening ear or someone who understands what they are going through and help them.

It is possible to prevent yourself from being bullied, but how many would help those that are bullied and put an end to bullying? I hope people would be less self-centred and lend a helping hand to those in need.

Animal Abuse

Animal Abuse:

The above is a picture of an animal after it was skinned alive.

After watching the video of animals being skinned alive at a fur farm in China, I was absolutely disturbed and disgusted by the inhumane acts of the workers.

In the video, animals were slammed against the ground, sometimes repeatedly, to weaken their power of self-defense. The workers would proceed to skin the animal even though it was still alive. They even stomp on the necks and heads of animals who struggled too hard to allow a clean cut. The workers have no conscience or they would not carry out such brutal acts on another living thing. After the workers had ripped off the fur from the animals, the bloody bodies are thrown onto a pile on top of other animals skinned before them. Some of these animals are still alive, their hearts still beating five to ten minutes after they are skinned, and their breaths are ragged gasps as they lay waiting for death to take away their pain and suffering.

Such acts of cruelty should not be condoned, yet there are no penalties for abusing animals on fur farms in China. The farmers can house and slaughter animals in any way they want. These animals are not given any form of care and kept in outdoor wire cages and left in the rain, sun and cold, freezing nights with no shelter over their heads. Compared to our pets that are showered with love and treated like a part of our family, foxes, minks, rabbits and other animals from these farms are practically living in hell.

Fur products are sold worldwide and globalization has made it impossible to trace the exact source of the fur. If it is true that ‘China supplies more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the Unites States’, it is also likely that some of those fur came from one of the many unregulated fur farms in China. Imagine the number of animals skinned just to supply the number of fur products sold worldwide. The only way to prevent such abuse from continuing is to stop purchasing fur products. Just imagine if the one being skinned is your beloved pet.

Article on Chinese Fur Farms

Animal Abuse

Article: Cruel youngster abuse dog, killed it and post on Facebook.

This animal cruelty case tells about how a young Chinese guy used a plastic bottle to suffocate the poor dog and post the whole process through video on Facebook. Throughout the entire ordeal, the dog was restrained to a pole by its feet.

After reading this articles and other animal abuse cases I wonder, why is there such an increase of animal cruelty cases? Are human beings losing their mortality and compassion for the weaker and more vulnerable living things that are sharing this world? The youth in the video appeared to be thoroughly enjoying what he was doing, showing his grinning face intermittently in the film. It turns my heart cold to read something like this. Basically because it is proof that there are people who can treat a life, even if it is simply a dog's, so casually. Animal violence indicates a deep character flaw in the culprit and ought to be taken very seriously because studies show that such indifference for life will definitely cost the culprit much more in life.

However, from what I read of the animal abuse cases in Singapore, the most we did is to fine the offenders and give them a mere 2 weeks Jail sentence. Don’t society realise punishment of forking out money and spending 2 weeks in jail is not effective and will never be? Just look at the standard answers AVA gives; do they ever pause to think that the effort put in to stopping animal abuse is not sufficient? I think it is completely inadequate and only goes to show how lightly animal abusers escape from their crimes. Besides stricter sentences, animal abusers should go through counselling and empathy training and maybe even do communal service with the SPCA.

From what I see, We Singapore doesn't take adequate caution to animals or animal rights, just because it's not of economic worth. I would really appreciate it if they could amend that carelessness towards animals abuse cases.