Is Ignorance Really Bliss?
Everyone knows the phrase “ignorance is bliss”, but what people don’t know is that being ignorant hides the problem instead of addressing it.
Story by: Azam Hakim Bin Suratmin
And when it finally gets the recognition it needs from feeding off the hate, prejudice, and greed of the world... it will grow to become an eternal migraine, pounding at my skull. Until now, the death of George Floyd remains in everyone’s mind as it became an unfortunate highlight of 2020.
This incident has only added to America’s long list of African-American related crimes, spurring more riots and protests. So why would a 19-year-old Singaporean Malay teen concern himself with something so controversial?
Well, it made me think a lot about the state of my country. I would say I am fortunate to have not faced any form of racial prejudice. But maybe I’m just in denial, too naive to the obvious racial biases constantly present throughout my life.
When I set out to research more about this, I was not surprised to find that there was insufficient research on racism in Singapore.
But, I was intrigued when Peter K.H. Chew, the author of the research and senior lecturer of James Cook University, said “The reluctance to discuss racial issues is problematic since the identification of racial disparities is the first step towards resolution.”
The research goes on to say “About half (53%) believe that racism is no longer an important problem currently, with two thirds (64% to 66%) who think that discussions about racial issues cause unnecessary tension. More important, about half to two thirds (46% to 70%) were not supportive of race-based information (about crime, educational performance, social problems, and so on) that could potentially reveal racial disparities.”
This just goes back to the age-old ideology that if we do not bring an issue to light, it will eventually go away when in reality, the issue will continue to grow even if we choose to dismiss it.
There are times when I would dismiss my friends and families’ experiences with racism as them overthinking the situation. On the other hand, there has always been this harsh bitter truth in their words.
As of late, there have been a few articles addressing Singaporeans’ negative attitudes towards foreign workers. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, even made reference to a case where foreigners were seen drinking and floating social distancing rules, stating that “When that video came out, friends told me that yes, (there were also) expatriates in Singapore Botanic Gardens (gathering) and so on. It is not just restricted to one place, but somehow when we see a group of people that look different from us, there is a visceral reaction.”
The only reason I did not want to believe them was my optimistic nature to only see the good in people. However, I slowly began to understand just how the world really works.
So, to answer my previous question, not even Singapore’s pristine reputation of a diverse community is safe from racial disputes.
Maybe one day, humanity will be able to see beyond one’s skin and realise just how similar we are. But before we get even remotely close to that stage in our society, all of us should learn just how powerful a little courtesy can be as it can go a long way.
