this article talks about the many homeless old people roaming the streets and focuses on one of them, Madam Chan Ai Eng, who sells tissue for a living.
personally, i have always been more inclined to support the teach-a-man-to-fish stance, and thus never thought of tissue sellers like Madam Chan to be more than members of an organisation that makes pitiful looking people sell things and collects earnings from them.
there is just so many ways to look at this issue that i think it is better left alone for now, and attention to be put on foremost how to stop this.
reading in the article about how government policies leave people like Madam Chan out of the loop of those who will get financial assistance is definitely something new. reasons left unsaid, i always thought the lengthy policies periodically implemented are enough to help everyone. clearly, bureaucracy has its limits.
one of the Ignite Change camp's events will be to alleviate the loneliness of old people who are alone and helpless, but i have to say: can we do more than just limit ourselves again, and have another one-off visit? or weekly?
somehow the point seems that their lives are or have become unfulfilling. how can this be changed?
a policy that gives them $5 000 monthly?
5000 people to visit them daily?
5000 meals a day?
5000 items of clothing/ houses/ pets/ cars/ holiday trips?
No, I Do Not Think So.
from my experience with senior citizens, and i am in no way saying i am experienced nor wise just that i am saying this from my personal experience, what they wish to have or to do are more often than not really simple.
like have grandchildren to play with.
like to play with their grandchildren.
like to see their children more often.
like to have had children.
like to be able to walk to the market to buy food for their family.
family is most of the time the top of their priorities, and from personal experience, i will not say that filial piety should be made a legal responsibility nor will i say anything along the lines of those who don't adhere to the nuclear family unit are sinners sin sin.
after all, like the chinese saying goes, every family has its troubles.
regardless of these, though, i do think that senior citizens should not have to become street selllers like Madam Chan.
but i do not like to see old people working either, because more often than not the only jobs they can handle in terms of time or effort are cleaning ones, like macdonald's personnel and so on. and seeing an old lady or gentleman wiping the table and collecting the trash while the table of youths laugh and continue their conversations is just PLAIN WRONG.
sorry. really feel quite strongly about this.
so my point is that, in all honesty, i have no idea what to think. there seem to be so many contradictions to untangle that my mind is a messy blank. (and of course it's late and i've 73874968463524785 readings to do just like you cause yea i've exams too yay)
government policies have loopholes that neglect some individuals.
there cannot be an imposition on families to take compulsory care of the old ones.
working tires senior citizens and i personally do not really like the idea.
so how now brown cow?
another thing to think about...
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