By: Daniel Nardini
I will say this much about the U.S. federal and state governments. They can do a far, far, far better job about helping America’s most needy. This is especially true in this age of the Great Recession when so many tens of millions of people are suffering and are either unemployed, homeless or wondering how they will take care of their families or where their next meal will come from. I know of a number of stories personally where someone has been badly affected by this uncertain, crappy economy. But one thing that has not happened, and one thing that I have so far not experienced personally, is anyone being sentenced and locked up for their freedom of speech.
I have not had that knock at the door whereby the police or whatever government agency was coming after me for something I said or wrote in the pages of this newspaper, and not just threatening but also acting on orders from high above to put me in jail and fine me for practicing my right of freedom of speech under the United States Constitution. The same cannot be said of a British citizen named Alan Shadrade. You may be wondering who this man is. He is a writer and journalist who is well-known in Great Brtiain, Southeast Asia where he has lived a good part of his life, and Australia.
Where is he now? In a jail in Singapore. Why? He wrote a book entitled, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock. The book, which is part expose of the way the Singapore justice system executes its criminals, is also a critical piece on the Singapore justice system. Well, the Singapore government did not take well to someone voicing his opinion about how it conducts anything. When he was visiting Singapore from Malaysia—where Shadrade lives—the SIngapore government seized him and threw him into jail for two days. That was only the beginning.
The Singapore government tried him in what could only be called a kangaroo court. Since the government is both judge and prosecutor (Singapore has no jury system), how could it lose? He was quickly found guilty, and sentenced to two months in prison. But this is not all. The Singapore government is also trying him on slander. This could land him another two years in prison. I should explain that Shadrade is 76 years old, and not in the best health. For him this could well be a life sentence. Many organizations and governments have begged for his immediate release. Amnesty International has called for his unconditional release on humanitarian grounds. The SIngapore government is not noted for any humanity, and it is possible that Shadrade could die in jail.
Whatever problems the United States has, lack of freedom of speech is not one of them. At least in my experience. There are corrupt politicians and many law enforcement personnel who go over the top and do things that are unacceptable. But that is still a long ways from throwing someone into prison and giving them a whole lot of years for voicing their opinions. I have been to countries that are like this, and I dare not go back to any of them for fear that what I have said and written, even if written in the United States which is legal, I could still end up in jail, tortured and killed. Shadrade’s book was published in Malaysia, but that did not help him when he was in Singapore.*
Freedom of speech has a great deal of meaning to me. Without it, I cannot say even half the things I say in this newspaper or in life. It is the right to believe in what we believe, criticize what we feel is wrong, and try to bring about change. For all of us, freedom of speech should have a great deal of meaning. It is the basis by which we live and try to change what we think needs changing. The Singapore government prizes peace and stability above all else. In my view, without freedom of speech peace and stability have no meaning. Having been to places where freedom of speech is banned, I do not take it for granted, and neither should any American.
*Incidently, I will not be going to Singapore for any reason. I certainly do not want to end up by Alan Shadrade.
Freedom of Speech Has Meaning
By: Daniel Nardini
I will say this much about the U.S. federal and state governments. They can do a far, far, far better job about helping America’s most needy. This is especially true in this age of the Great Recession when so many tens of millions of people are suffering and are either unemployed, homeless or wondering how they will take care of their families or where their next meal will come from. I know of a number of stories personally where someone has been badly affected by this uncertain, crappy economy. But one thing that has not happened, and one thing that I have so far not experienced personally, is anyone being sentenced and locked up for their freedom of speech.
I have not had that knock at the door whereby the police or whatever government agency was coming after me for something I said or wrote in the pages of this newspaper, and not just threatening but also acting on orders from high above to put me in jail and fine me for practicing my right of freedom of speech under the United States Constitution. The same cannot be said of a British citizen named Alan Shadrade. You may be wondering who this man is. He is a writer and journalist who is well-known in Great Brtiain, Southeast Asia where he has lived a good part of his life, and Australia.
Where is he now? In a jail in Singapore. Why? He wrote a book entitled, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock. The book, which is part expose of the way the Singapore justice system executes its criminals, is also a critical piece on the Singapore justice system. Well, the Singapore government did not take well to someone voicing his opinion about how it conducts anything. When he was visiting Singapore from Malaysia—where Shadrade lives—the SIngapore government seized him and threw him into jail for two days. That was only the beginning.
The Singapore government tried him in what could only be called a kangaroo court. Since the government is both judge and prosecutor (Singapore has no jury system), how could it lose? He was quickly found guilty, and sentenced to two months in prison. But this is not all. The Singapore government is also trying him on slander. This could land him another two years in prison. I should explain that Shadrade is 76 years old, and not in the best health. For him this could well be a life sentence. Many organizations and governments have begged for his immediate release. Amnesty International has called for his unconditional release on humanitarian grounds. The SIngapore government is not noted for any humanity, and it is possible that Shadrade could die in jail.
Whatever problems the United States has, lack of freedom of speech is not one of them. At least in my experience. There are corrupt politicians and many law enforcement personnel who go over the top and do things that are unacceptable. But that is still a long ways from throwing someone into prison and giving them a whole lot of years for voicing their opinions. I have been to countries that are like this, and I dare not go back to any of them for fear that what I have said and written, even if written in the United States which is legal, I could still end up in jail, tortured and killed. Shadrade’s book was published in Malaysia, but that did not help him when he was in Singapore.*
Freedom of speech has a great deal of meaning to me. Without it, I cannot say even half the things I say in this newspaper or in life. It is the right to believe in what we believe, criticize what we feel is wrong, and try to bring about change. For all of us, freedom of speech should have a great deal of meaning. It is the basis by which we live and try to change what we think needs changing. The Singapore government prizes peace and stability above all else. In my view, without freedom of speech peace and stability have no meaning. Having been to places where freedom of speech is banned, I do not take it for granted, and neither should any American.
*Incidently, I will not be going to Singapore for any reason. I certainly do not want to end up by Alan Shadrade.