Remembering Pearl

It was a Sunday morning too back then on December 7 1941 when the world was turned on it's head with the preemptive attack by the Japanese on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour heralding the official start of World War II.

*The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service late in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. (*Source: Wikipedia)

Since then, the world has seen a number of Pearl Harbours. September 11 in the US, July 7 in the UK and most recently the attacks in Mumbai, India.


All these bear something in common. The signs were all there that something sinister was a-brewing and yet, these were ignored at peril. It is this same lack of consciousness, a misplaced belief in safety taken for granted, that remains with us.

Even in insular Singapore, the harbingers of terror are never far away. The warning signs are all around us which make us a soft target. The cracks, in social cohesion, which we take for granted, are slowly widening - if only we take the effort to notice.

Our time will surely come and our collective response will determine if we can truly stand as one undivided nation "... regardless of race, language or religion..."

In this, I am, sadly, not hopeful ...