Confucian Law

Reading
The Confucian tradition of respect for the aged shows signs of eroding in one famous island-state.
Alarmed by the number of elderly citizens facing financial distress, Singapore legislator Walter Woon
has proposed a law permitting parents to sue their offsprings for support. Many see the bill -
thought likely to pass - as a cynical effort to shift the cost of caring for the elderly from the public to
the private sector. Others resent what they see as an attempt to legislate filial responsibility. Said Lim
Siew Imn, a middle-aged mother of two: "We certainly did not bring children into this world just to
have them around to look after us when we are old!" Complained a Singaporean in her early 20s:
"The government has such a negative view of youth. Everything we do is wrong."

Source: What Do You Think 2

Vocabulary
Confucian - of the teaching os Confucius
filial - of a son or daughter

What Does It Mean

1. a cynical effort to shift the cost of caring for the elderly from the public to the private sector
2. We certainly did not bring children into this world just to have them around to look after us
when we are old!

Comprehension Check
1. What has happened in societ that led Woon to propose the new law?
2. What is Mrs. Imn's attitude toward having children?
3. How do Generation X'ers view the Singaporean government's attitude toward them?

Let's Talk!
1. Do you think a law of this nature is something governent should propose, or is it just a matter
of personal morality?
2. Would you take your children to court if they refused to support you?
3. Do you think a law like this would have the intended result?
4. What are the immediate side-effects of the law?