Some Americans believe in using violence to deal with violence. “Let armed guards protect children in schools”, “Arm teachers with guns”. Better still, let everyone carry a gun and everyone can shoot at one another at the first sign of trouble.
The US spends enormous resources trying to prevent terrorist attacks on its soil yet it cannot protect its citizens from its own gun terrorists.
The right to live in a safe environment is a basic human right.
And India, another big democracy, cannot protect women from being raped.
When Japanese troops invaded China, brutal rapes were committed on women by the Japanese soldiers. That was during the war. Isn't it appalling that such an atrocious crime is being committed so frequently in India in present time.
Violent rapists should be whipped in public.
Why is it so difficult to curb these?
I believe the reason is that Americans see owning guns as their right because it has been allowed for so long; and the Indian authorities have been too lax on rape crimes and too lenient to rapists for too long.
Lessons for Singapore
Singapore should consider very carefully when it wants provide welfare benefits or subsidies. Once given, it is very difficult to stop. Same too if we want to change or relax any law, for example the death penalty or the ISA or the right-to-strike laws. Once changed, it is very difficult to reverse.
