Basket.

I am finding certain prevailing social attitudes in this country more and more reprehensible. We wish to be seen as a progressive, dynamic, forward-looking city state of the future. That is not going to happen any time soon if some of our fellow citizens don't dispose of their archaic, bigoted notions about the way the world ought to work.

Take, for instance, our attitude towards the environment. The recent initiative put in place is for one day every month to be designated, in supermarkets, as Bring Your Own Bag Day, with a ten cents charge imposed on anyone who wants a plastic bag to carry their own shopping. The measure in itself is pusillanimous in the extreme - one day out of every thirty, and ten cents is a negligible amount for practically anyone in this country, especially those who can shop at supermarkets. Yet the popular reaction was, predictably, unfavourable.

Completely missing the point of the exercise, many Singaporeans complained about the extra charge, vehemently insisting that they should not be charged money for plastic bags, as they had already paid for them by buying things at the supermarket. Others expressed a belief that there were better ways to save the environment - without, of course, stating a few of these better ways. In the end, it all boils down to a fixation on the ten-cent charge: why should we pay?

My reply then would be: you can choose not to. But kindly choose not to pay and then shut the fuck up about it, please. Save money, and save your breath too. We do not need to hear your self-righteous justifications on the moral correctness of an initiative that would require you to fork out the princely sum of ten cents per plastic bag at the very most.

Unbelievably, there are people worse than these loud-mouthed scum: these are the people who loot the plastic bags offered, free, in the produce section of any supermarket, and then proceed to justify their actions with the same old argument that they have already paid for these by buying from the supermarket. Such actions amount to a matchless display of sheer pig-headed greed, and imagine how it is going to look to any foreign visitors. "Look! The citizens of this nation, instead of offering a commendable level of support for an infant Green initiative, are stooping to stealing plastic bags to circumvent it instead! Hm, this is certainly a modern, progressive metropolis of the future."

Seriously, what the fuck? It's only ten cents. You can certainly well afford it. If you don't want to pay it, you can bring your own bag, or carry what you buy in your hands. Or even wheel the trolley out to the carpark and load your things into your vehicle there. Why the fuck is there a need to resort to thievery? How low can you go?

And then we have the conspiracy theorists. Obviously, this is yet another plot by the shady government and its oleaginous partners in the business cabal to profit off good, hardworking ordinary Singaporeans. Certainly, they will be swimming in cash from charging the truly bank-busting sum of ten cents per plastic bag on a single day every month.

Again, it is just ten. fucking. cents. You can afford luxury cars, branded clothing and the latest electronic gadgets, but ask you to pay ten cents for a plastic bag and you have to resort to righteous thievery? Spend all that just to look good, and end up little better than a common thief. With a loud mouth, to boot. Disgraceful.

The other attitude I find most undesirable is exemplified in this letter that appeared in today's Straits Times Forum, reproduced below.

"I AM writing about the review of the criminal code. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's recent comments about liberalising laws regarding homosexuality have got my family and me very concerned.

My expatriate friends find Singapore a conducive place in terms of its low crime and cleanliness. More importantly, they comment that it is a wholesome place. One does not find pornography sold openly in a neighbourhood shop. Having lived in the West myself, this down-to-earth wholesomeness is what makes Singapore special.

Singapore today faces the challenge of a declining birth rate and families are breaking down at the same time. To legalise homosexuality will compound these problems, given that homosexual couples do not reproduce.

The homosexual lobby in the West is extremely aggressive. It is the same here. Observe how it is now considered intolerant when one criticises them.

What would it be like to have a homosexual teach our children that it is normal to be gay? You might scorn the idea but this is what is happening in the West.

Homosexuals lead a promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle. What else can you expect when you do not have children to live for or be in a loving and committed relationship? This increases the risk of STDs, Aids, etc, further increasing the risk to the general population.

Homosexuality is not going to go away. All I am saying is that we do not make it easier to be a homosexual by legalising their activities. Singapore is our home and I am proud to be Singaporean. Let us keep it a wholesome place."

Translation: OMG GAYS HALP

I find it truly appalling that in this day and age, in this so-called First World city, there are still citizens who cling to such dated, frankly bigoted beliefs.

Homophobia is the serious problem, not homosexuality. The proposed changes to the Penal Code, decriminalising homosexuality, are to be applauded. It shows that our judiciary, at least, is taking a step in the right direction, and is being realistic and progressive. Archaic attitudes such as homophobia ought to be banished if we are truly to become a dynamic global city.

Yet the letter shows us how difficult it is going to be to eradicate such an attitude. Not that, of course, it is ever easy to change anybody's thinking. Rife with misconceptions and generalisations, it shows us how much some people have to learn about homosexuality.

Well, time to tear his sham arguments to pieces.

"My expatriate friends find Singapore a conducive place in terms of its low crime and cleanliness. More importantly, they comment that it is a wholesome place. One does not find pornography sold openly in a neighbourhood shop."

Apparently the decriminalisation of homosexuality will lead to a magical drop in moral standards all across the nation. Shops openly selling pornography will suddenly appear, in the blink of an eye, in HDB estates across the country. People will begin fucking each other doggy-style in the streets in broad daylight. Walking on the streets, one must be careful not to trip over horny men single-mindedly concentrating on pushing their rock-hard penises into the warm, welcoming anuses of their gay lovers. This will all happen in a flash, once it is decided in Law Minister S. Jayakumar's mind that this proposal is acceptable. There will be no warning, and there will be no escape.

Seriously, is this guy twelve or what? There are plenty of places in Singapore that are anything but wholesome. And chances are that his expatriate friends are patrons at one or more of these places. I would advise him to get some new friends, because these certainly don't seem to be very honest with him.

"Singapore today faces the challenge of a declining birth rate and families are breaking down at the same time. To legalise homosexuality will compound these problems, given that homosexual couples do not reproduce."

Yes, those evil homosexuals, how dare they cause the increase of the divorce rate year by year? How dare they ensure that Singaporean couples have less and less children? The very nerve! We should herd all gays and lesbians into squalid internment camps and force them to have unprotected vaginal intercourse - not only is it punishment, it will also bring up the birth rate! Then we should keep the babies and gas all the gays.

"The homosexual lobby in the West is extremely aggressive. It is the same here. Observe how it is now considered intolerant when one criticises them."

But you are being intolerant. What business is it of yours? Are they harming you in any way, shape or form? If not, then keep your nose out of the sex lives of others, please.

"What would it be like to have a homosexual teach our children that it is normal to be gay? You might scorn the idea but this is what is happening in the West."

Aha. The classic "It's unnatural!" argument. But homosexuality is not unnatural. It has been observed in animals - as has, I might add, necrophilia - as common as fruit flies, penguins, sheep and most damningly, bonobo apes. And mankind is a species of... ape.

"Homosexuals lead a promiscuous and hedonistic lifestyle. What else can you expect when you do not have children to live for or be in a loving and committed relationship? This increases the risk of STDs, Aids, etc, further increasing the risk to the general population."

NEWSFLASH: All hetereosexuals are pious, God-fearing men and women who renounce wordly enjoyment in favour of prayers and self-flagellation, unlike homosexuals who are sex-crazed monsters who would fuck the hole of the first doughnut they see and lick it clean afterwards. In addition, STDs can only be spread through anal intercourse. There are no risks of it spreading through normal vaginal intercourse. Nope. None. Not on your life.

"Homosexuality is not going to go away. All I am saying is that we do not make it easier to be a homosexual by legalising their activities. Singapore is our home and I am proud to be Singaporean. Let us keep it a wholesome place."

Translation: I am proud to be an intolerant, backward, self-righteous asshat who is simply incapable of understanding that the sex lives of my fellow citizens is no concern of mine whatsoever. Together we can help prevent Singaporeans from developing more progressive social attitudes!

That, or he is himself a severely closeted homosexual.

Personally, I am not homosexual. But I firmly believe that homosexuality should be legalised, and gays should be welcomed as free and equal citizens in their own right. Whether homosexuality is a choice, or genetics, is immaterial. A progressive, open society is one that respects its citizens regardless of diversity, and honours personal liberty. The government has been moving in the right direction. It should now move against bigots attempting to block it from doing what is reasonable and correct.

To truly transform this place into a city of the future, we should forget about more shining monuments to capitalism. The change of any real importance that must take place must occur within our hearts - to tolerate, respect and accept the right of personal choice.