People have forgotten to be grateful

One of the saddest realizations that we experience these days is the very unfortunate, if unexpected insight that people who have received some blessings are refusing to acknowledge whatever they have receive, from government, from private donors and from the Lord.

Some government officials, like mayors, governors, barangay captains, kagawads and tanods are exposing themselves to infection, by going around to distribute foods and medicines. But instead of manifesting gratitude and appreciation, many of the recipients have displayed arrogance and ingratitude to them. Most recipients  display some behavior showing that they are entitled to these goods and that there is no need to say " Thank you". They say that these come from their taxes. The fact is most of the recipients are not paying income tax. It is the middle class ( who, by the way are not given assistance today) are the ones who are overtaxed and underpaid. Many of the taxpayers give one-third of their salaries to the government. The non-taxed people are the most noisy complaining.

This is a sad phenomenon, and it is very unfortunate that most people have forgotten to be grateful. Their attitude of entitlement is blinding them and making them ungrateful. Workers do not even say thank you when their employers give them ex-gratia assistance over and above their wages and benefits. Many beggars, when they receive coins, would even express resentment by their body language and facial expressions. When they listen to the conversations in barber shops and carenderias, you would hear complaints, grievances, accusations and vitriolic attacks against the government. No one would say that many of our public officials are going out of their way to save the people from starvation.

Yes, there are dishonest people in government, but most of them are faithful to their duties and responsibilities. Many of them have integrity and honesty. Most of them are hardworking and conscientious. How dare those people who are just drinking and gambling their 4Ps dole-outs to badmouth the DSWD and the DILG. It is not the fault of government that they have ten or twelve children and they do not have enough food and medicine for their sick family members. The idle, lazy, inept and neglectful people have no moral and legal right to demand that government should cater to all their needs, including their drinking and gambling money, and even drugs.

I have reports of recipients of government assistance who gambled their money in majong, ''pusoy'', hantak, or sabong. These are ungrateful and irresponsible people. These are the violators of lockdowns and quarantine who have chosen to be parts of the problems instead of being parts of the solutions. They are burdens to government and if they do not stop making a mockery of the law, they will be prosecuted, and if convicted,  and jailed. Those who propagate false data and information via the social media can be arrested and charged. Good intention is not a justifying factor. Good faith is not a defense.

I am not anti-poor. There are many poor people who are law-abiding. I come from a very poor origin. But I am against ungrateful people, over-bearing and arrogant recipients who do not have enough manners to say '' thank you'' for getting what they do not even deserve, in the first place.