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.