Stand up against hate speech

• Pdd2010 sp

  16 Jun 10, 18:41

  LAST Friday's report ('JC students branded 'dogs' on Wikipedia') serves as a stiff reminder that we should never take our race relations for granted.

  Recent incidents have shown the damage one can cause by using new media irresponsibly. Over the past few months, we have witnessed errant young people going on new media and hurling insensitive remarks against another from a different culture. Under the cloak of anonymity, these comments were made with total disregard for the feelings of others.

  Nanyang Technological University Associate Professor Cherian George's view on using new media to make a public stand against offensive speech, we believe, is the way forward in combating such deplorable acts.

  While irresponsible use of new media poses hazards to communal harmony, this same tool, when used positively, can act as an effective form of community policing.
• First, having read such comments online, we must never allow these incidents to scar the precious relationships we have built over the years between our diverse communities.
• Second, we must always respond firmly and clearly demonstrate in these media that we will not tolerate offensive speech in our country. For every few who incite hate speech, there must be thousands rallying to speak up against it. It is through such ground-up actions that we will continue to strengthen racial harmony, both in the real as well as virtual space.

  We are heartened by the school's actions in shutting the site down and taking steps to address the incident. We should take lessons from such instances to continue to cultivate values in our young, not just as educators, but as parents and well-meaning citizens.

  Respect for another fellow human being is basic human courtesy. Our young people need to have this fundamental value of humanity ingrained in them. They must come to understand that we treasure the harmony we have between our diverse communities and racism will never be condoned.

  OnePeople.sg, as the national body for racial harmony, works closely with self-help groups, community development councils, the People's Association, government agencies, as well as community and religious organisations to promote the spirit of racial and religious harmony. It is where we passionately celebrate our diversity and core values of our multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. We urge fellow citizens to join our movement in building these values of respect, understanding and trust in our community.

  Wee Siew Kim
  Gerald Singham
  Vice-Chairmen, OnePeople.sg