Offensive T-Shirts Make Headlines

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan wore a t-shirt that says, “ 2245 Dead. How many more?” at Capitol in the visitor's gallery during the State of the Union address and was escorted before the event started. Subsequently, charges of unlawful conduct were dropped and the police apologised.

Incidentally, the wife of a Republican House of Representative, Bill Young, Beverly, was also asked to leave for wearing a t-shirt that has an opposite message, “Support the Troops Defending Our Freedom”.

In Singapore, politically controversial t-shirts became the rage when 4 silent protestors last year wore white t-shirts with words such as , “CPF, HDB, Transparency, Accountability” on them. The shirts have been confiscated and the police have yet to offer an apology.

Not too long ago, the authorities see red again when Raffles girls students tried to sold “Save the White Elephants" t-shirts at the carnival celebrating the opening of Buangkok MRT station. This was apparently a tongue in cheek reference to the cutouts hung outside the station.

The police sent a remainder to the girls that permits are needed to sold the t-shirts; and that “wearing of T-shirts en masse may be misconstrued by some as an offence under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public & Order & Nuisance) (Assemblies & Processions) Rules”

With politically controversial t-shirts making international and local headlines, I expect creative Singaporeans to come up with their own version of offensive t-shirts that may confound our police.

In fact, I already have a few in mind, such as , “When is the next Erection in Singapore?”, “National Peanut Foundation”, “Pee Aye Pee”, “Workaholics Party” or “Sarong Demo-crappy Party”

I just hope no one will take up my idea to print and wear these t-shirts. Unlike the US police, ours don't do apologies and they may just haul you up on the street and charge you for indecent exposure. Sorry, I meant public abnormal disorder.

The logic? Singapore, unlike US of A, is a clean and green city and our citizens are expected to be orderly and law abiding. Dissent is banned, even on a crappy t-shirt with illegible handwritings.

Disclaimer: The author does not endorse politically controversial t-shirts and he is not related to anyone found owning or wearing them. Any such event is merely an act of coincidence. The only controversial t-shirt that the author owns says,”No Politically Rude T-Shirts Please, We Are Law Abiding Singaporeans”