Beggars Today
Beggars are one of the most familiar groups in every city. They accompany us from our childhood until now, and I've found both the beggars and I change in this journey.
Years ago as a little girl, when I came across some old and disabled beggars on the road, I'd donate some pocket money to them, happily thinking I was helping.
s I have grown older, I've found the number of beggars has grown larger and they are more diverse. They appear in every corner of the city, on the overbridge, on the street, near restaurants, and even at your door. In contrast with the old days, it seems like the situation with beggars today is more complicated, which has made me hesitate before deciding whether to help them or not.
It's hard for me to give them money considering some who appear beggars in day time but dress up and go to fancy restaurants at night; and some who are controlled by some illegal organization and the money they get all goes to the organization. If I help them, I'd be making the problem worse, I'd be doing harm to the society, indirectly. But it's also hard not to give them money, considering there're real beggars who really need help. If I don't help them, who will? And where is my sympathy?
What hurts me the most is not how hard it is to distinguish the real help-seekers from the many false ones, but that some children are forced by adults, sometimes even their parents, to beg. They grow up despised by the world, out of mainstream society. When I see their eyes filled with desperation and impudence instead of purity and innocence, my heart sinks. We don't know how they will face the world when they grow up, how this will shape their characters, and what they may do to the society, to perpetuate this cycle of violence.
Months ago the Fu Jian government has promulgated a new policy to deal with 8 kinds of beggars. An internet survey shows that over 80% of voters reacted positively toward the policy. We know that one single policy cannot solve a problem as complex as this one, but we do look forward to some improvement. I wish all humanity can live like human.
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