Saturday, May 11, 2013

The current hoo-ha.

This post is with regards to the current controversy surrounding a MP's choice of a quote on his Facebook page.



In my opinion, the quote in itself is not right or wrong. It's subjective as everyone has his/her own thinking and belief. As shocking or offensive as the sentence may be to some people, it was meant to explain a point that was further elaborated on in the paragraph that came after. And the author's intended meaning was clearly not to "trivialise rape" as how most people are seeing it. It was to explain his point of view regarding the current state of "democracy" (for some people or places) as becoming the "tyranny of the majority". Thus, "a group of people forcing themselves onto an individual". Obviously not literally, but more in terms of their beliefs and mindset.

However, I think his (the "quoter") fault is that he overestimated people's ability to understand that quote fully, their level of reasoning skill to things they don't agree with, and chose a wrong timing. He also forgot that he's in a position where people are always looking for reasons to attack, regardless of whether the reasons are actually reasonable or not. Which is very ironic in that those people calling for blood (regarding him quoting "inappropriately"), are actually kinda proving that quote right.

Did he mean to offend? No. Did people care? No.

Also, what I don't understand is that when some so-called politicians that those people support can plagiarise or say whatever they want without any basis/truth, they can get away with it without explaining themselves or with a seemingly insincere apology. Yet when one quotes something to express his thoughts on the current state of democracy, people look past the intended meaning and are so eager to condemn him. Shouldn't the same standards we expect of our leaders be applied to all? I would expect the same for all of those who want to be our leaders. Regardless of their affiliation. Just saying.

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