Comment

Good citizens start from within

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-18 07:54

Good citizens start from within

Comment on "Young people deserve more understanding" (Jan 6, China Daily)

I am a woman in my mid sixties. I have lived in Shanghai for more than two years and taken more than 1,000 rides on the different types of public transportation.

When I was offered a seat, on more than six occasions, I was grateful. Once I told a young man who offered his seat that "his mother must be very proud of him". There are over 18 millions people living in this city, so it is really not very pleasant to travel at rush hours.

I do not agree that seniors should not travel in rush hours. Standing in a moving vehicle actually helps one gain more stability and stamina at our age.

I feel it is not only about seats, but displaying a sense of mutual respect, courtesy and good manners. It shows one's character with the kind acts. As far as this matter is concerned, residents in Nantong, Jiangsu province, have done a much better job compared with this mega city.

Someone may argue that young people in Shanghai are hard working and traveling long distances each day to support their family, and consequently undertake more pressures. I think these are two separate issues. All the younger generations in different parts of the world have social, economic and psychological pressure. Many young men and women in the whole world have to pay mortgage and face uncertainties in their future. What does that have to do with the act of kindness? Let the Chinese hard-working ethic be instilled into each of us, and not to make any more excuses for our younger generation.

There are still more than 100 days before the World Expo opening, so let us not only have a beautiful city for the outside world to see, but also make the inside of us better. We can teach our children at a young age to put the trash into the bins.

Let us be thankful to the "outsiders", people from outside Shanghai, who have helped made a better city together with us. Let us be lovely citizens of Shanghai from within!

O Zhang

(China Daily 01/18/2010 page8)