I listen to podcasts. A lot of podcasts. I get podcasts from all over. Some of my favourites are from the BBC. I love the 'unemotional' assessment of world events from a European perspective. I also lived in Ireland for a few years and along with RTE, the Irish national broadcaster, I came to love the BBC.
As they have been navigating financial strains in Europe, the British Parliament is looking at ways to save money. One of the things I heard discussed on a podcast was possibly eliminating the winter fuel benefit for wealthier pensioners. Basically all pensioners can receive some government funds to help pay for their heat in the winter. Homes in Europe are not heated like Canadian ones. Here in Canada we set the thermostat and our heat keeps our home or office heated to the temperature of our choice. In Britain (or Ireland) you set the heat to go on at certain times. Usually just when you are home but not all night. You have a timer that allows you (if you remember!) to have the heat come on before you wake up. This also provides you with hot water to get ready for work in the morning as many homes do not have constantly heated water. It is just too expensive to heat your home constantly in Ireland/Britain.
Anyway, back to the podcast. The politicians were discussing the notion of eliminating this benefit for those who are wealthier and do not need it. Being the open-minded and interested person I am, I wanted to hear both sides of the discussion. The first was saying why not eliminate it and save the rest of the nation money. The other side talked about the potential problem of the benefit eventually being labelled a 'poverty benefit' and with it, the greater possibility of eliminating it altogether at a later date. If it became a benefit for 'just the poor' then the day would come, the politician argued, when people saw fit to get rid of it completely.
It started me thinking...well re-started me thinking as it was early in the morning, about those living in poverty. I often think about those living in poverty. I live in a neighbourhood where it is all around me. And I choose to live here. Because I believe all people matter equally. I believe we will not solve the 'problem of poverty' by seminars, workshops or government alone. Surveys, focus groups, round table discussions, websites, policies are all well and good but they only do so much. But I'll hop up on that soapbox another time.
Back, again, to the podcast. I started thinking about labels as well. We seem to have a growing need to label people around us. Each of us create our labels and design what we believe each to mean. We then attach these labels, and subsequent meanings, to people. From there we seem to put people in to categories. People I will talk to. People I will avoid. People I care about. People I need to be around. People to avoid. People who will make me look good to others. People who might embarrass me in public...and so on. Maybe I am over simplifying. Correct me if I'm wrong. Please.
I then started to wonder about labels I might put on others. Most days I think I do a good job of not assuming too much. I try to accept people. I prefer to let them tell me who they are. I have been amazed, humbled and surprised by the stories I have heard. I have been blessed by many who have opened up to me and shared some of their journey.
Living in an area where poverty is not only common but evident has taught me there is SO much more to a person than first glance. I do not fear poverty. I do not avoid people who are 'poor' because I know they are sometimes very, very rich in spirit and in life. It upsets and angers me when I hear about others who do. Maybe if we spent less time labelling people and more time coming alongside them, life would be a lot better for a lot more people.
Let's leave labels for food and other items, not people.
As they have been navigating financial strains in Europe, the British Parliament is looking at ways to save money. One of the things I heard discussed on a podcast was possibly eliminating the winter fuel benefit for wealthier pensioners. Basically all pensioners can receive some government funds to help pay for their heat in the winter. Homes in Europe are not heated like Canadian ones. Here in Canada we set the thermostat and our heat keeps our home or office heated to the temperature of our choice. In Britain (or Ireland) you set the heat to go on at certain times. Usually just when you are home but not all night. You have a timer that allows you (if you remember!) to have the heat come on before you wake up. This also provides you with hot water to get ready for work in the morning as many homes do not have constantly heated water. It is just too expensive to heat your home constantly in Ireland/Britain.
Anyway, back to the podcast. The politicians were discussing the notion of eliminating this benefit for those who are wealthier and do not need it. Being the open-minded and interested person I am, I wanted to hear both sides of the discussion. The first was saying why not eliminate it and save the rest of the nation money. The other side talked about the potential problem of the benefit eventually being labelled a 'poverty benefit' and with it, the greater possibility of eliminating it altogether at a later date. If it became a benefit for 'just the poor' then the day would come, the politician argued, when people saw fit to get rid of it completely.
It started me thinking...well re-started me thinking as it was early in the morning, about those living in poverty. I often think about those living in poverty. I live in a neighbourhood where it is all around me. And I choose to live here. Because I believe all people matter equally. I believe we will not solve the 'problem of poverty' by seminars, workshops or government alone. Surveys, focus groups, round table discussions, websites, policies are all well and good but they only do so much. But I'll hop up on that soapbox another time.
Back, again, to the podcast. I started thinking about labels as well. We seem to have a growing need to label people around us. Each of us create our labels and design what we believe each to mean. We then attach these labels, and subsequent meanings, to people. From there we seem to put people in to categories. People I will talk to. People I will avoid. People I care about. People I need to be around. People to avoid. People who will make me look good to others. People who might embarrass me in public...and so on. Maybe I am over simplifying. Correct me if I'm wrong. Please.
I then started to wonder about labels I might put on others. Most days I think I do a good job of not assuming too much. I try to accept people. I prefer to let them tell me who they are. I have been amazed, humbled and surprised by the stories I have heard. I have been blessed by many who have opened up to me and shared some of their journey.
Living in an area where poverty is not only common but evident has taught me there is SO much more to a person than first glance. I do not fear poverty. I do not avoid people who are 'poor' because I know they are sometimes very, very rich in spirit and in life. It upsets and angers me when I hear about others who do. Maybe if we spent less time labelling people and more time coming alongside them, life would be a lot better for a lot more people.
Let's leave labels for food and other items, not people.
Very well said
ReplyDeleteI agree. I have had an issue most of my life with the labels we put on people. Daughter of a suicide, troubled teen, can't have her own children (in whispers), widow, immoral......and that's just the one's that have been applied to me. If only we COULD have labels only on food!!!
ReplyDelete