maid carry bag so what he serves NS le - Dr Paulin Tay Straughan
Aunty Paulin, firstly dun "Kay Ang Mo" with your name "Dr Paulin Tay Straughan "
secondly, No NSmen in gen X can accept the fact that a fit soldier ask his maid to carry backpack. Maybe the good for nothing gen Y have this practice, but not the gen X
Mar 29, 2011
Let's be fair to our young soldiers who do their duty
YESTERDAY'S article suggests Singaporean youths may be getting soft ('He's in the army... but she has the backpack').
Given that the original photo posting was not contextualised, I found the corresponding article unhelpful and, more seriously, it trivialised Singaporean sons' important contributions to national defence.
If the photographer had really been interested in promoting good citizenship, he could have asked the recruit in question why he needed a helper to carry his backpack.
By posting the photo without context in a public forum, it invited unnecessary and unfair criticism of our youths.
What gains did we achieve from the posting? And more importantly, at what social cost?
The youth in contemporary Singapore are faced with tremendous challenges and they have to navigate through complexities which many adults did not have to face when they were younger. Instead of enforcing stereotypical imagery of a 'soft' generation, we should look seriously at the expectations that we have erected.
Aside from the advances in creature comforts, most of us must acknowledge that life is a lot more complicated and demanding in contemporary society than it was 40 years ago.
My son is a proud member of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Through his experiences, I know that basic military training is tough, and this service to the nation is not at all easy.
Yet, each young man serves dutifully, diligently and with pride. From what I observe when I drop my son off at the Pasir Ris pick-up point, the SAF is a disciplined organisation, and each soldier is well-trained and upholds his responsibilities with quiet dignity.
It never fails to amaze me, come reporting time. One moment it is chaos as recruits and their family members mill around. The next moment, recruits from a platoon fall in, quietly and efficiently, and are ready to board the waiting bus.
Officers would alert their men, and within minutes, the entire platoon is set to go. When I observe this, I am filled with pride - not just for my son, but for all the young SAF soldiers.
These are the young people who will protect us in times of crisis. I have absolutely no doubt that my family and my nation are in able hands.
Dr Paulin Tay Straughan