Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Anwar has it wrong blaming media for ills of the land By R Nadeswaran
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Malaysiakini : But Anwar was barking up the wrong tree. Has there been any
journalist or publication that has been charged with making such
speeches or publishing such articles?
Media
organisations and personnel do not indulge in such doings - they are
subjected to the laws of the land and their code of ethics.
Most
would not even venture into reporting let alone processing a statement
containing inflammatory and provocative speeches. I would venture to say
that it will not even get past the editor’s scrutiny.
Anwar is perhaps talking about “cowboy country” where the “law of the jungle” prevails.
Anything
and everything goes - the perpetrators are not bound by any law, rule
or regulation. Courtesy is hardly extended and the power is vested in
individuals who shout the loudest and have the largest number of
followers or supporters.
Mr Prime Minister, if you are not already
in it, welcome to the world of social media where insults and
invectives based on race and religion are happening every day.
Fine line
There
is hardly a line between common sense and nonsense and the issue
bourgeons as there is no concerted effort by the authorities to put an
end to it.
The picture of a Turkish waitress (whom they wrongly
assumed was a Muslim) serving a beer on social media is supposedly
unacceptable and the customer becomes the recipient of a slew of
insults.
A picture of a bowl of bak kut teh drew the ire of those
who take the view that anyone who partakes in what is forbidden to them
is an enemy of the state and religion.
A healthy discussion on child brides can result in claims of “interference” with their religion and cause countless insults.
The
might of their power of sheer numbers, emboldened by none or selective
enforcement of the law has resulted in the barometer rising.
They are operating with fear, knowing that they are protected by some unknown force or hidden hands.
An uncontrollable monster
In December 2022, I wrote: “Part of the blame for the surge of such statements should fall on the police and to a certain extent, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
“This
is because both these organisations have declared in court proceedings
that they had no plans to prosecute two people who were reported to have
made provocative statements.”
Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu (left) and Firdaus Wong
In
April 2021, appearing on behalf of the AGC, deputy public prosecutor
Ainul Amirah said the AGC was unwilling to prosecute Perlis-based
preacher Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu and Multiracial Reverted Muslims founder
and president Firdaus Wong as police had classified their cases as “no
further action”.
To date, the AG has not said why he refused
prosecution, stoutly defending that “it is his prerogative” and that it
can never be challenged.
If the cases had been acted upon, the
problem would have been nipped in the bud. Instead, the problem was
allowed to rankle, and aggravate and now has grown into an
uncontrollable monster.
No, Mr Prime Minister. The drop in
rankings was not because of provocative speeches you wanted to act upon.
They were never there in the first place.
But the blocking of news sites and other impediments caused it.
And
finally, for the betterment of the country and the sake of its people,
insist that the laws of the land be enforced equally and justifiably.
