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Politicians must quickly come to the realisation that the poor need help

Dec 28, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I read with interest the letter in your Christmas Day edition from Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh relating to Christmas. Particularly the first two paragraphs:
“Christmas is a joyous occasion for Christians and others to come together and sing carols, give praise to Jesus and be merry.  At this time of year, as most people celebrate Christmas, the poor and less fortunate suffer the psychological pangs of financial and material deprivation.
It is at Christmas that the poor feel most acutely the deep distress of not being able to provide for their families as they would like, particularly their children who are too young and innocent to have accepted poverty as a way of life.”
What they have said is so very true, not only in Guyana but also here in Britain.
Many people living overseas may not be aware that, since the present ‘Conservative’ government took office they have reduced welfare benefits, reduced financial assistance given to the elderly in the form of heating allowances, introduced a system where, if a family receives Housing Benefit (money towards the cost of their rent) and has one spare room (two children of the same sex are expected to share a room and two children of different sexes under ten are expected to share a room) their Housing Benefit will be reduced by 25% and for 2 spare rooms by 40%.
Many families have tried to find homes with less bedrooms, but they are simply not available.
All of this, and a number of other moves, some still to come into force, have resulted in the creation of about 5,000 food banks where, in the last twelve months, over 500,000 free food packages have been issued. These packages have sufficient food to last three days, but a family can only get this help three times and are then expected to find some other form of help before returning to the food bank.
It is the duty of government to cater and provide for all members of the community, particularly the poorest. Let us not forget that Jesus did not help and talk to the rich and good, he worked among the poorest and the excluded of society. In those days, people lived far shorter lives than we do now and the thought was constantly at the back of the mind ‘what will happen when?’
Access to the Kingdom of Heaven was seen to be controlled by either the Temple or the Synagogue, but there were many people who were excluded from both because of illness, infirmity, occupation, widows, orphans and homeless. And it was to these very people that Jesus came with his message of love and particularly the message that to reach the Kingdom of Heaven did not mean how often you attended synagogue, Temple or church but how much trust, love and faith you have in Almighty God. He told them: if you have sinned in some way come to God and say that you are sorry – and mean it – and he will forgive you sins.
The sooner some of our politicians, in all countries, realise that when the time comes they will be judged by how much they have helped the poor and needy the better, and the poor and needy does not include bankers on huge bonuses or politicians on massively inflated expenses claims.
Donald Johnson
Wallasey, UK

 

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