Please signing the petition on this link:
Growing older is like moving into a higher condominium with a better view.
Today, I met up with a few old acquaintances and friends from the theater circle. They included T Sasitharan (Theatre Training and Research Programme), Tan Tarn How (who wrote "The Lady of Soul and the Ultimate S Machine"), Alvin Tan (The Necessary Stage) and Ivan Heng (W!ld Rice Productions).
Sasitharan and friends are part of Arts Engage, an independent group formed by artists from different fields. The purpose is to get Singapore governing bodies and Singaporeans to understand that Blanket Censorship is bad for us.
Blanket Censorship means that, as long as a piece of Art is disagreeable to anyone, that piece of Art will be cut from all Singaporeans!
I grew up in an era of Blanket Censorship. I know the effects of it. Since a lot of important ideas and concepts are shielded from local citizens, many of us do not know how to express ourselves properly. From simple things like saying 'Thank you' to the bus drivers, to more complicated stuff like talking about racial and religious issues respectfully but openly.
Even at home, many of us do not know how to carry out a meaningful conversation with our family members. Many of us cannot relate to our colleagues other than about basic "you do this" stuff. And most of us are tongue-tied in front of strangers.
That is the Big Issue I have with Blanket Censorship. We created a nation of Hello Kitties!
We are fortunate to have the Internet. The Internet made censorship impossible. But local artists continue to be censored. That means that you and me, even when we become adults, do not have access to the cutting edge ideas of our local artists. If Singaporeans cannot express ourselves adequately, we lose out when we have to engage internationally with foreign talents, businesses and politicians. We simply do not know how express ourselves, to speak our minds and state our case!
I know, what's this got to do with Sir Fong comics? Afterall, I made sure the comics are safe for younger readers and will not likely have to face censorship. BUT as a fellow artist, a fellow Singaporean, I understand the value of having proper regulation rather than blanket censorship. Having grown up and matured as a person and artist, I saw a larger perspective. I got a pretty good view of the ills of censorship. So I support Arts Engage!
Please support them by signing the petition on this link:
Thank you!
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