e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Letters from Readers
Special> 50th Anniversary of Beijing Review> Letters from Readers
UPDATED: September 29, 2007  
Reward? No!
Comments on the story " Should Good Deeds Be Materially Rewarded? " published on No.40 October 4, 2007
 
Share

The upcoming campaign proposed by some to reward people who offer their seats on public transportation may be in the right direction for China's social development. But has the morality of the Chinese people declined to such a degree that people have to offer their seats only if there's a reward in store for them? This is more like an insult to Chinese morality.

In a country famous since ancient times for its people's politeness and courtesy, we take it for granted that one must offer help to the old, the young and the pregnant. We never see a weak person stand on the bus, shaking to and fro without anyone offering a seat. Indeed, there are a few people who will pretend to be blind, but the majority always have their eyes open and are ready to help without the slightest hesitation. So it is unnecessary to reward the warmhearted masses, at least for now.

Furthermore, rewarding seat-offerers will mislead the young. The result will be a loss of traditional values and a decline in moral standards. To the young, seat offering will then no longer be an obligation, but a competition to gain rewards. There will be no sense of moral condemnation because you can never blame someone for refusing to participate in a game. How misleading it is.

So, in order to encourage the people to act more decently on the buses, a reward is pointless.

Jefferey Wang

September 28, 2007



 
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
Most Popular
 
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved