We have no time to bicker and snarl
18-05-2008 02:19:24 PM
By RAJA ZARITH IDRISIT was such a relief for me to meet with some friends – all women – who are so much more sensible than the testosterone-filled group of apparently grown-up adult men who have been bickering and snarling at each other in our august Parliament House.
And yet, it has been women, not men, who have long been labelled shrewish or, worse, given names with canine connotations.
Perhaps we women are not drama queens because, as mothers, we’ve all had our share of having to deal with drama – complete with bickering, snarling, name-calling and more – in our daily lives, as we try to seek some sort of peace between our children.
Most mothers have so many things to do that they really and seriously do not have the time to be drama queens: they have to wake their children up and make sure they are dressed and ready for school, get breakfast ready, and also see their husband off to work with a clean shirt and tie. Add to these the following: going to the market, getting the laundry done, house cleaned up, lunch and dinner ready.
Anyway, what could a group of mothers – my friends and I – talk about that could possibly be compared to the intense and serious debates among our politicians?
Well, we discussed the rise of crimes within the city we call home.
We wondered if the crimes committed are by illegal foreign workers. If so, what can or should be done? Should we have them live away from the city, in a compound with a mini market, a grocery store, ATM machines and a bank as well as telephone booths?
We talked about a retired teacher who had her head bashed in and died because a man, desperate for money but not wishing to earn a decent living, wanted whatever she had in her handbag.
We talked about rapes and murders of teenage girls that did not get the media’s attention. There are many more Nurins and Sharlinies than we thought.
We talked about the high cost of living – a kilo of ikan kembung now costs RM12; a kilo of tiger prawns is RM50. Being mothers, we worried about other mothers, especially those who are poor and have to work so that they can share the expenses with their husband, and get their children fed and clothed.
We are concerned about keeping children safe, not just our own children but all Malaysian children as well.
We are just as concerned about all children getting a good education. For those who come from poor families, a decent education is the only way of getting a decent job, and of alleviating their families’ incomes.
All right, I admit, we are just a group of mothers. So what do we know?
We are aware of social problems, believe it or not. And we also know about the reality of living. There is no time to bicker and snarl.
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