Are they writing for themselves, our society or the global marketplace?
I am sure they write to advance their careers and would love to be global success. On the other hand the local market is too small but often that is the natural market.
Some write for the sake of writing. Such types must balance their love of the craft with a job or business to pay the bills.
To me the best writers give the inchoate emotions of the society they live in form and substance. Alas too many of the writers do not belong to his category. Certainly not those who have decided to quit NLB events.
Not that I care, my post on NLB pulling books of the shelves attracted must less traffic than the popular topics like CPF and cost of living issues. The 'silent' majority has left the job of defending their conservatism to the government. Do not assume their passiveness as agreement. The same mistake Pink Dot is making and will soon discover.
Writers are thought leaders and the least I expect from them is to show us they care for the society they live in. Patience is the hallmark of caring and I am just disappointed how they are just applying pressure to have it their way. Bring society with you instead of leeching off us. If you will not do your part as our diverse voices in an inclusive way you are as foolish as the Barisan Socialis once were to walk out of Parliament. The vacuum you leave behind will be filled by more patient and socially empathetic writers in due time.
Go if you want, you will not be missed. And if I need to read works that are ahead of our social time there are plenty from foreign writers to choose from. I don't need your kind to try to bludgeon us into a future most Singaporeans have no plan YET to end up in. If only you were patient enough to hold our hands to lead and walk slightly ahead of us. Then we would know how to follow.
Those of us who favour greater freedom of expression are often let down by people on our own side. This is one of those cases. The books in the NLB was intended to evangelize. To introduce to kids the notion of families with same sex parents as normal.
ReplyDeleteI won't go so far as Lawrence Khong and say that such units are anti-family. They might in fact show great family values. However it is not just another choice. The issues should be explored , but not by kids.
"Those of us who favour greater freedom of expression are often let down by people on our own side." So True!
DeleteWell said, "PengYou". Like I said in another comment, I just got my high reading what you had just said.
ReplyDeleteMy first daughter highlighted the NLB books to me on Face Book.
I explained that the issue is not pro-choice as opposed to pro-censorship.
It is pro-commonsense not to confuse children and infants. They can make up their own minds later.
Cheers and a Blessed Weekend,
David
Thanks!
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