More Things I Hate About the City
Monday, 14. August 2006, 02:16:50
Today, I would like to talk about begging babies. Yes, babies, under age of 3 year, some not able to talk or walk, just a few months old.
Babies are put on sidewalks--always sleepy--with a adult sitting near by. There usually goes a piece of paper saying that they are daughter and mom, from poor rural area. They came here to look for new life, but the dad died, the mom and baby have no money to take train home, so please help.
I have to say, I can't bear these things. I can't do anything. If I don't give money, I feel guilty. If I give money, I feel more guilty. It is difficult to find out whether they are real daughter-and-mom or not--some of them are, some of them are not. But you can be sure that they are not begging for train tickets. Because they are begging everyday. And there are too many babies begging. If I give money to the adult, I am encouraging this kind of begging. There will be more babies on sidewalk. Money drive people crazy.
If you can read Chinese, there is a story about how a baby was adopted from orphanage, then took to sidewalk and used as a tool for begging, with photoes. It is a real world story, not made by a novelist, but came from investigation by a paper reporter.
American beggers beg by sax, Indian beggers beg by snakes, and we God damn Chinese beggers beg by babies. I love my country all the time, but I feel deeply ashamed now.
Babies are put on sidewalks--always sleepy--with a adult sitting near by. There usually goes a piece of paper saying that they are daughter and mom, from poor rural area. They came here to look for new life, but the dad died, the mom and baby have no money to take train home, so please help.
I have to say, I can't bear these things. I can't do anything. If I don't give money, I feel guilty. If I give money, I feel more guilty. It is difficult to find out whether they are real daughter-and-mom or not--some of them are, some of them are not. But you can be sure that they are not begging for train tickets. Because they are begging everyday. And there are too many babies begging. If I give money to the adult, I am encouraging this kind of begging. There will be more babies on sidewalk. Money drive people crazy.
If you can read Chinese, there is a story about how a baby was adopted from orphanage, then took to sidewalk and used as a tool for begging, with photoes. It is a real world story, not made by a novelist, but came from investigation by a paper reporter.
American beggers beg by sax, Indian beggers beg by snakes, and we God damn Chinese beggers beg by babies. I love my country all the time, but I feel deeply ashamed now.
WIDGETIZE