Anyone getting rich?
Pictures of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) fans gathered in Yunlin County can be seen all over the news Web sites.
These people do not fear the scorching sun and they listen earnestly as the man on stage explains his political ideals and calls out a slogan everyone likes to hear: Get rich!
One of his fans, a relative of mine, has said with conviction that the Baishatun (白沙屯) Matsu has indicated that following Han will mean that they will make NT$100,000. My parents-in-law, who live in the countryside, follow my relative’s instructions and watch CtiTV News every day. Now they are also Han fans.
Reading the Yunlin ad section in the newspaper, I see that Han’s school, Victoria Academy, is looking for all kinds of teachers, listing various requirements.
Reading the ads, I cannot help laughing to myself, because the teaching positions in the ads pay NT$30,000 to NT$50,000.
I really want to say to voters that if they want to know if anyone really is getting rich, all they have to do is ask Han’s employees.
If they are making so much money, why is Han always so short of staff? Or could it be that everyone is making so much money that they stop working?
Talking to relatives of mine who are teachers, the wages at Han’s school are indeed noteworthy — for being so low.
However, the tuition fees are not for everyone. Tuition for a semester is more than twice as high as at other private junior and senior-high schools. No wonder Han talks about making a lot of money.
I sincerely hope that Han will make my parents-in-law rich. It would make them very happy.
Wang Ya-wen
Huwei Township,
Yunlin County
Short-sighted media rally
Once again I read with interest and amazement the hyperventilating hysterics of those who advocate for restricting the public’s access to information (“Rally opposing ‘red’ media to be held in Taipei,” June 16, page 3).
As I caution my students — and others who will listen — day after day: “This is the 21st century, folks. Taking away a print publication is not going to deter the public from accessing information ... positive OR negative.”
Every country is “blessed” with media outlets — traditional or social — that pump out volumes of positive and negative information for their consumers. It is incumbent on us as reasonably educated citizens to pay attention to what is being said and, when we see/hear something that seems a bit “off,” do some additional research to verify the accuracy of that source.
Again, as an educator, I do my best to help my students — future business and community leaders — understand that it is their responsibility to think critically and not simply accept what is placed in front of them as “news.”
I urge them to ask the simple, but annoyingly perceptive, questions: “Why are you saying this? Where do your ‘facts’ come from?”
Kirk Hazlett
University of Tampa
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