Happy New Year! This is the greeting that we give to our family and friends this time of year. We look forward to a bright future. But recently I utter this goodwill hopes with trepidation. Will it be a happy new year?
The year 2015 left us a deal to worry and be scared about. There were the massacres in Paris, Africa and San Bernardino, California. There was the plane crash recently that killed 229 innocent men, women and children. There were other murders here and there. There was that random fatal assault of a woman by another woman with a very high educational qualifications and a very prestigious job. A cancer scientist was also murdered while taking a walk, presumably a botched robbery attempt.
We are actually relatively fortunate in the Greater Toronto Area. While there were those crimes, the number is relatively low as compared to other places. We have not had any of those mass murders, presumably by international terrorists.
The new government of Canada seems to be more open to the common people and compassionate to the needy. While a raging debate is taking place in our neighbour the United States, on whether to allow the Muslims to enter that country we are welcoming hundreds of Syrian refugees in Canada. Volunteers in churches, community centres and other organizations are busy collecting and sorting non-perishable goods and clothing for the newcomers.
Still, there is that fear and paranoia in our hearts. When we go out in the morning, we wonder if we would be back home alive.
There are other concerns that we worry about. There is the climate change. Unprecedented floods in some places are being blamed to rise in temperature. And there is the failing economy. The drop in the price of oil has led to loss of jobs and government loss of incomes. The prices of prime commodities like meat, cereal, fruits and vegetables are all going up while incomes are either stagnant or going down. The number of seniors in our population is in the rise which means increase in health care costs and need for pensions.
Sometimes with these world turmoil I wonder if the end is soon to come. One of my friends expressed her fear that the tsunami that hit Japan and killed thousands of people was a sign that our planet earth would soon be destroyed. The mass murders lately seem to remind us about the writings in Holy Books about the chaos that would occur before the end of the world happens.
There appears to be a war in religious ideologies going on. This is surprising considering that no religion in the world advocates war. Where is this raging hatred that we witness at present come from?
It is often said that lack of communication is a source of misunderstanding and distrust. The developments in technology in the last decades have promoted communication by leaps and bounds. And yet we are the witnesses to the evils that technology has brought. Easy communication has made identity theft, pornography, cyberbullying and other kinds of fraud possible.
Every day we live in constant fear that we might become victims of these evils that modern technology has brought. What can we do to protect ourselves? Experts on fraud have given many suggestions. They have pointed out how we can take care of our credit cards and other permanent records to protect identity theft. Radio and television programs have specific segments to help the public avoid bad contracts, false collectors for charity, dishonest vendors and all kinds of ways by which we may be cheated or defrauded. The government has passed laws and created agencies that protect the public from all forms of crime.
Do we have a reason to worry about the safety of our persons and property?
Worrying and anxieties usually do more harm than good. It is all right to be very careful and aware of these ill wills but do not let them create false presumptions that may make us sick and nervous. Let us be aware of the realities in our present way of life. Let us be conscious of what our children are doing especially with the computer. Let us be cautious about strangers on our doorsteps. Let us avoid crowds if possible.
In this age of all kinds of developments, there are certain conditions that seem to escape within our grasp. We can not seem to find ways of achieving peace in this world. In spite of all the improvements in production, there are many people who live in hunger and poverty. Right here in our midst, many people can not make both ends meet with out help from food banks. We hear of how First Nations people struggle for decent lives. We are aware of seniors who do not have heat in their rooms in winter.
How can we possibly extend a helping hand? How can we possibly avoid an unnecessary purchase and send a few dollars to a food bank?
This is, I hope where we are going to in this New Year.
Rosalina E. Bustamante
December 22, 2015
