With December upon us it can now be said that Christmas time is here, the season for peace on earth and goodwill toward men.
It is also seen by many as the season of plenty, considering the bonuses and gifts employees are expected to receive.
But not all things that happen during Christmas are good. And not all who are looking forward to Christmas are up to good either.
We are talking about people who take advantage of the season. We hate to say this, but there are indeed those who look forward to the season to enrich themselves off others or to take advantage of the generosity of others during this time.
The police are never remiss in warning the public against the possible rise of robbery and pickpocketing incidents during this season. With people getting more money than they usually do, criminals are on the prowl for people whose attention span can go away at the very crucial moment, or those who leave their homes unguarded.
Then there are also those who like to exploit the largesse of others who may be feeling a bit more giving during this season. For good or for bad, Christmas has that effect on others where they feel they should give more; for good because they end up helping others who do need help, and for bad because they are only teaching others to become more dependent.
Just recently, the Cebu City Government had to send back to their home province a group of people whom they suspect just came here to the city to beg for money. We understand that such a decision may not have been beneficial to them; they may not have much waiting for them back “home”, but if they came here to beg then they don’t have much of a future here either.
Christmas time is indeed a season for giving, but these times also call for a balance between being generous and being cautious, between giving and guarding.