You know that silence?
The silence when a group of you and your friends walk past a young girl, clearly underweight, ragged clothes, hand to mouth gesture.
Nobody says anything. Averts eyes from each other, but perhaps will steal a glance at the girl to see whether her gesture is well practiced or whether she really does need help.
What makes you decide to stop and give a couple of pence? The overpowering feelings of guilt? Because, surely, we all know that those few coins will not help her out of the situation she's in?
Perhaps you can justify not giving her anything. It only takes a few seconds of thinking, "I'm training to be a doctor. I will save lives. Stop people from dying of treatable diseases. That's far more than giving a few coins".
Is it?
Is that enough?
Do people really think that if you fed that girl, treated her for HIV, and gave her vaccinations, that her situation will be solved?
I'm not saying all doctors and medical students think that way, but some do. I did. But that's naive and egotistical. It takes more than being a doctor, and having good will, and giving a few coins.
Will you stop and ask why she's on the side of the road? And work with her to improve her condition and the many more who weren't so lucky to have been spotted by someone with money/power/knowledge?
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3 comments:
You´re already doing your bit to help. No one person can take the troubles of the world on their shoulders! Leaders should play their part.
my god mr chan. not quite sure what you want a person to do...
feeding, treating for HIV and giving vaccinations seems like a pretty good place to start!
Is your point that that doctor, or whoever, should be trying to change structures so that that person doesn't appear there in the first place? Getting the root of the cause? I'd love to hear some more of your thought!
sometimes a few coins is actually something. If you were starving on the side of the road it would almost kill you to know that that kind hearted medical student just walked passed you because he thought a few coins weren't enough. Of course they're not enough, but sometimes they are something, I think. The things you care about, food and treatment, they will change people's lives, where as a couple of coins might just change one moment in a life. But then there's always the chance that there's someone waiting just round the corner to collect anything the emaciated girl gets given. It's hard. Sorry for the rant James. Thanks for all the posts, it's giving me lots the think about too.
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