Do we need to check our own?
Found this article in the South China Morning Post. It describes people enjoying the benefits of having public facilities like rubbish dumps, public toilets for the disabled, columbarium or drug rehab centre, but refusing to have any located near them. What they are in fact saying is 'These are good, but Not In My Backyard or anywhere near where I live!' It seems people are afraid of having 'smells, bad luck or the "wrong" kind of people' too close to them.
Found this article in the South China Morning Post. It describes people enjoying the benefits of having public facilities like rubbish dumps, public toilets for the disabled, columbarium or drug rehab centre, but refusing to have any located near them. What they are in fact saying is 'These are good, but Not In My Backyard or anywhere near where I live!' It seems people are afraid of having 'smells, bad luck or the "wrong" kind of people' too close to them.
Interesting. How much of the NIMBY syndrome do we have in our midst? In light of the recent highlight on youth violence, how much are we ready to be involved in helping vulnerable children and youths at-risk before they turn to the inevitable path of crime and violence? Is our response one of genuine empathy as a community to the plight of the young who are vulnerable or merely an expression of a NIMBY syndrome to get rid of the offending youths?