Affluence = intolerance??
Affluence = intolerance??
There were articles in the newspaper concerning how some people were upset with sales personnel at certain departmental stores/service outlets, etc not being able to speak proper English and hence not being able to answer their queries or offer them the assistance they asked for. The incident got publicized and certain people were calling for these employees to be removed ... what's your take on this??
To me, I felt "angry" when I read what I read. Angry not because whoever that was commented has in any relation with me ... but angry at the fact that when our society grow to be more affluent and we are much better off (education, monetary, technology, etc) we seemed to also be people who are more proud ... who ask for too much ... and yet becoming too intolerant.
I just wonder if those people who got upset with these sales personnel have ever put themselves in the position of these humble employees, whom mostly left their country in pursuit for better pay and career prospects so they could support their family back in their own country for a more comfortable life. And to me, it's precisely because in their own country, they are not given a chance and environment to learn English itself that they dare to stick it out and venture with courage into an unfamiliar environment to learn and grow. Must we devalue them in such ways just because they don't speak English as fluently as we do??
Come to think of it, sometimes we Christians are like that too, aren't we?? We think that we are forgiven sinners, one up above all others - people whom we consider on the fringe or people whom society shun. Think about it - you think in God's eyes, there are BIG sinners and SMALL sinners? What do you think God sees - our actions/behavior or the inner attitudes of our hearts?? Have we become so Pharisaic in our ways and words??
Affluence = intolerance?? Then I'd rather we stay in our humble condition of the 60/70/80s when we were striving hard to build this society better ... where we learn to tolerate and get along with each other ...
There were articles in the newspaper concerning how some people were upset with sales personnel at certain departmental stores/service outlets, etc not being able to speak proper English and hence not being able to answer their queries or offer them the assistance they asked for. The incident got publicized and certain people were calling for these employees to be removed ... what's your take on this??
To me, I felt "angry" when I read what I read. Angry not because whoever that was commented has in any relation with me ... but angry at the fact that when our society grow to be more affluent and we are much better off (education, monetary, technology, etc) we seemed to also be people who are more proud ... who ask for too much ... and yet becoming too intolerant.
I just wonder if those people who got upset with these sales personnel have ever put themselves in the position of these humble employees, whom mostly left their country in pursuit for better pay and career prospects so they could support their family back in their own country for a more comfortable life. And to me, it's precisely because in their own country, they are not given a chance and environment to learn English itself that they dare to stick it out and venture with courage into an unfamiliar environment to learn and grow. Must we devalue them in such ways just because they don't speak English as fluently as we do??
Come to think of it, sometimes we Christians are like that too, aren't we?? We think that we are forgiven sinners, one up above all others - people whom we consider on the fringe or people whom society shun. Think about it - you think in God's eyes, there are BIG sinners and SMALL sinners? What do you think God sees - our actions/behavior or the inner attitudes of our hearts?? Have we become so Pharisaic in our ways and words??
Affluence = intolerance?? Then I'd rather we stay in our humble condition of the 60/70/80s when we were striving hard to build this society better ... where we learn to tolerate and get along with each other ...
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