thoughts on RAK
last thursday, i participated in an activity called Random Acts of Kindness. basically, we feed or give alms to the homeless around our school’s area. what was meant to be an act of service, enabled me to see what’s wrong with our society clearly. first, there exists social problems embedded in the existing system. for one, no, not all who are unemployed and poor are lazy. no, not all those poor and unemployed choose to become unemployed. most are merely given none to little opportunities. other factors are also present, mind you. of course there’s the lack of education, contractualization, and job availability, to name a few. so the next time you think every poor person on the street begging for money is lazy, please think again. second, a lot, if not most, of them actually strive for better lives. to remove their families from the shackles and chains of poverty. a lot work hard but clearly, it isn’t enough. third, yes there are those who rely heavily on the government, those who just wait for grace to be given, but please don’t generalize them all. fourth, one of the experts i interviewed for my thesis puts the blame of uneducated, and miseducated Filipinos on the Marcoses. it comes back to that, doesn’t it? fund were stolen, social services weren’t given, people starved making them malnourished which affected their thinking and brain function, these people then birthed and added to the population. it appears simplistic, but just because it’s simplistic it doesn’t mean it can’t be true. the activity was suppose to be an outlet of kindness, generosity and goodness, but there were a lot else i saw. i hope people who are able go beyond mere band-aid solutions, and deeds to make themselves feel better. i hope the able are present, aware, and in action.