Modern Day Singapore - and Hammurabi's Code

Hammurabi's Code of laws are very strict, and the punishment usually is appropriate for the crime. (If you steal something, your hand is cut off.) He had very strict laws because it would keep his people in line. Nobody wants to commit even a small crime because the penalty is so great. Modern day Singapore has a similar philosophy. So I challenged some of you to find some of the laws that Singapore enforced and many of you came back with some great info... here are the highlights:

• Failure to flush a public toilet after use could attract hefty fines
• shoplifting and theft are considered SERIOUS offenses... in the US, they're not.
• the sale of GUM is prohibited
• bungee jumping is illegal
• if you are convicted of littering 3 times, you will have to clean the streets on sundays, and wear a sign that says "I'm a litterer" (We are still determining the truth of this claim.)
• serious crimes like weapons offenses could attract the death penalty
• smoking is ILLEGAL in public places - Entering Singapore with cigarettes is considered an offense.

It is no wonder that Singapore is one of the countries with the lowest incident of crime in the world.

Thank you to all of the students who contributed to this information... I'd love to hear your comments on the situation...