Victim Of Poverty or Victim of Discrimination?

Victim Of Poverty OR Victim of Discrimination?

Governments should help the hardcore poor irrespective of race. Having to stop schooling at 12 is merely one of the stories we hear when such tragedies striked. Being compassionate, people should stop discriminating, be it race, religion, gender, nationality, heights, facial features, fat, slim, rich, poor, disabled, etc, etc.

For this to happen, the change must take place at mentality of every person. If everyone were to think I'm a Malay, a Chinese, an Indian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, male, female, Malaysians, discrimination starts. We are all human beings. Even to say that we are human beings, we are already discriminating against animals, insects and other living beings. Not easy not to discriminate, isn't it?

We discriminate the moment we like something (we favour it) and the moment we dislike something (we want to get rid of it). From there we start adding descriptions to what we we like or dislike about it. Then we build up emotions to that. Those we like we become happy and we want more of it. Those we don't like we become displeased, then disgusted and angry and we want to get rid of it. We become protective of what we like and can sometimes want to destroy what we don't like.

We apply this to "our race", "our religion", "our family", then we can understand why we want to protect "our race", "our religion", "our family", etc. For those who believe that every being is God's creation, then shouldn't it be simply just God's creation? No my, no our, no theirs, no race, no religion, All equal? No discrimination, because there is nothing to discriminate. Just ONE.

Buddhists believe in being compassionate to all beings. They practice wishing all beings well and happy. They practice treating everyone as they would treat themselves. It's like loving yourself as you would your parents, your friends, an acquantance, a stranger, a sick man, an old man, a fool, or even your enemy. This is not easy, of course. That's why there are not many successful Buddhists. And that's why it is called "practice".

The teachings is there, the Bible is there, the Quran is there, and so are many other holy books, but how many really practice what is written in those books? People pledge that they are followers of this and that group and are willing to protect and die for it, but is this the aim of these teachings? The teachings or revelations teach us not to discriminate and are to make a better person out of us. How many of us follow this teaching? Are we good Christians, good Buddhists, good Muslims, good Hindus, good Malaysians, good humans? Don't blame the books, the religions. Practice the good teachings till they become our way of life. Practice them till the day we die. Meantime, be happy. Have less anger. Be more forgiving. The world will be a better place.

Wednesday August 13, 2008

Teen found dead with stomach cut open

PETALING JAYA: A 16-year-old boy was found dead with multiple stab wounds about 100m from the Subang Jaya district police headquarters near Seri Kembangan.

The victim, identified as Arjunan a/l Batumalai, was found disembowelled and sprawled in a pool of blood at a roadside at 7.15am yesterday.

Arjunan was found clad in grey trousers and a black T-shirt with three stab wounds on his chest and his stomach cut open.

Subang Jaya police chief Asst Comm Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar said police believed he was murdered elsewhere and his body dumped by the roadside here.

The victim's mother, A. Ramaee, 38, a factory worker, said her son left their home in Balakong at 11.30pm on Sunday to watch football in a restaurant in Seri Kembangan.

“When he did not return home, we thought he had stayed overnight at his elder sister's house there,” she said.

She said Arjunan had stopped schooling when he was 12 as her family was poor.

Those with information on the murder can contact Rakan COP hotline at 03-2052 9999 or SMS to 32728 or the nearest police station.

In an unrelated case, ACP Zainal said police are still investigating if a Liberian who was shot dead in Puchong Industrial Park on Aug 5 was involved in criminal activities.