To be or not to be kind

This is not an attempt to be Hamlet. But it dawned on me that as a human being, we would be subjected to the same dilemma over and over again in our day to day life.

Take for an example, it is a common scene in Ipoh that when you eat in a popular eatery outlets, you would come across beggars. Whenever one appear in front of me, I would always struggle with the dilemma to be or not to be, charitable.

So far, I have been charitable more often than been not charitable. Some local friends would told me that I have most probably wasted my good intention. But I know better. My intention of being charitable is not noble, it is a selfish one.

The sole purpose of me giving some changes or 1 or 2 ringgit to the beggar, was not to hope that those small amount of kindness would make their life better. It was a selfish act to make me feel better about myself. If I were truly wanted to make an impact or to really want to change the life of these beggars to the better. I would have to do much much more and commit much much more of my time, resources and effort. But still, I struggle with the dilemma knowing full well that I would more often give than not giving. The reason is probably that my intention is and will be a selfish one.

There is another beggar, an old lady, whom is dumb (couldn't speak aside from making some ee ah) and could often found her lying outside one coffee shop where I like to go have my lunch. She's one energetic old lady. And would make loud fiery noises when I pass by her on my way to the coffee shop for my lunch. Initially, I didn't know why. Then I noticed that the lady in the coffee shop would occasionally give her some food and small changes. So, I finally understood why the noises. If I pay attention to her she would stretch out her palm. If I ignored her then, she would make even louder noise. Almost like demanding that I should give her some money. So, out of the same selfish reason, I decided that I would give her whatever small changes I got from my lunch. Whenever I drop her the few tens and twenties cents, she would give me a big grin. Some times, I do not have any changes, I would ignore her and she would make those loud noises again. The lady in the coffee shop had at one time told me:"Ignore her, she's like that." But she herself would be giving that old lady beggar.

That made me ponder, out of many years that I have frequent this coffee shop for my lunch. I have missed this little kindness. Was it because of my ignorant or an conscious choice of ignoring what I do not want to see? I do not know.

My little selfish donation pale in comparisons to the volunteers on the Freedom Flotilla. These people are going all out of their ways to face the open seas and the Israel Defense Forces to try to show some human kindness to the blockaded Palestinians.

This is an extreme example of to be kind to others. These people should be applauded, as they have acted as individuals where states of powerful nations have failed. They were the torch carrier of hopes for humanity. The torch of fire that light up the kind part of humans being, we are not a species only capable of ruthless plundering and killing in the international front. They represented an international efforts undertaken by individuals to show some kindness in this cold cruel world. They were assaulted by IDF in international water. There is no legal standing and definitely no moral standing on the Israel side on the attack. The attack on the Freedom Flotilla is an attack to human decency. It is barbaric and should be condemned by all.

The only way out for Israel to show that it still has some human decency in them, is to remove the blockade and allow the Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza.