Several comments abt recent news....Unwed Mother

The story appeared on Today - 9th March 2005. Section - Voices. Title - No home of their own.

Story is about an unwed mother and her 8-month old daughter. About how she was unable to get a flat of her own, unable to rent a low-cost flat...even MPs couldn't help her... *Memories from the show "I do! I do!", I tot MPs will at least help their residents write letters?* In the end, she had no one to turn to as her family had disowned her when she refused to abort her child and the father of her child had refused responsiblity... Now she's living on a $1,200 salary where $450 goes to rent for a room and $400 goes to child's nanny. And there's also the expenses on the child since she's little, the milk, the diapers..? And she'll need to travel to and fro work. No wonder she's skipping meals.

Poor thing... seriously... i wonder how she survives...? Being a mother is already hard enough. Coping with motherhood and taking care of a newborn is tough job... Not to mention that she is not married (the social pressures)...and she's all alone, which means financially, she's in trouble too. There are letters written to Today regarding the article and published today. Some sympathise with her, some sort of implying that she deserves it since she had pre-marital sex, some agrees that Govt prob can't do much, some tink that Govt shld be more flexible... I dunno how she would feel after reading all the letters...

What I tink is... actually i'm rather divided in my view... on one hand, i tink that it's true that you got to bear the consequences of your own actions but on the other hand, this lady is making the right decision of insisting on giving birth to her baby. I mean what's done cannot be undone. It's unfair to the baby if she's not given a chance to come to this world. At least she's brave enuff, strong enuff. Compared to those who aborted or killed their baby upon giving birth....she's admirable.

Some said, to help her is. in a way, encouraging pre-marital sex and single parenthood... What bullshit! U tink if u dun help unwed mothers, young people would not be lured to try the forbidden fruit? I dun tink so. This is more of a result of western culture...a by-product of being an advanced country which is socially open to diff cultures...? I mean...even govt is open to the idea of homosexual oredi rite? Y not single parenthood? Helping existing single parents is different from discouraging pre-marital sex... I admit that in our society, it's still widely preceived that pre-marital sex is wrong. While upholding that, we can't juz leave those single mothers in distress... that's not right too.

I dunno if govt is going to do anything about the matter now that it's on the papers... I tink letting her rent a flat is the least they can do. At least help her tide over the current difficult times... I tink one of the reader who suggest that govt agencies, when they can't provide help within their means, should learn to direct those who need help to those voluntary groups. This is a good idea. At least they wouldn't be pushed to a corner and forced to do things which are drastic. *A random thought juz came to mind. A person might have turn to drastic actions, like committing suicide when in similar situations. But mothers normally do not give up as easily, that's y i tink mothers are admirable. And more so, if she's single. My own tots* Back to the topic, govt officials could have helped and not juz leave them to fight for their own survival. Possibly people would be coming forward with donations and offers to help her out in other ways, such as offering better employment?

However all these said, because this is such a sensitive topic, people might not dare to come forward to help either...

Whatever it is, let's hope all will be well for the mother and child.