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.
今日乞丐
在城市中,乞丐是我们最熟悉的群体之一。他们伴随着我们的成长,从童年直到现在。在这个过程中,我发现,乞丐和我都在变。
小时候,每当看到路旁的乞丐,通常是老人或残疾人,我会给他们一些零钱,并且高兴地认为我帮了他们。
长大后,我发现身边乞丐的数量有所增加,而且他们种类繁多。他们无所不在,天桥上,大街上,饭馆旁,家门口,城市中处处是他们的身影。比起过去,今天的乞丐似乎更加复杂,使得我在决定帮不帮他们的时候犹豫不决。
想到那些白天装作乞丐行乞,而夜晚换装后跑到宾馆作乐的人;想到那些被不法集团控制,然后把乞讨来的钱上交给集团的人,我真的很难做到给他们钱。可是,想到那些真正需要帮助的乞丐,又很难做到不帮他们。如果不帮他们,我的同情心死到哪去了?
最让我难受的,并不是因为从众多的假乞丐中找出真乞丐是多么的困难,而是那些被成人,甚至被父母教唆,去乞讨的孩子们。他们在歧视中长大,和主流社会脱离。当我看到他们眼睛里本应有的纯真和童稚被绝望和无耻取代时,心里便很难受。我们不知道他们长大后会怎样面对这个世界,他们的性格会被童年的经历塑造成什么样子,以及他们有可能对社会做出怎样的事情---让恶性循环继续?
几个月前,福建省颁布了一项针对八类乞丐的新政策。网上调查显示,超过80%的人对此政策持乐观态度。虽然如此复杂的问题不能通过单单一项政策得以解决,我们还是期待着一些改善。愿所有的人都能像人一样活着。