No sympathy here

Dear Editor,

Re: Fa’avale’s Family Plight 

I have just read an article on the 14th of February edition of this esteemed newspaper, Fa’avale’s Family Plight, and wish to blow off some steam.  

Sorry, but I don’t have any sympathy for this family.

Yes, many Samoans try to find a new life in New Zealand on the quota system.  Some succeed, some don’t.  The Fa’avale family obviously is one that hasn’t.

What really got my goat was not the fact that the family was evicted from their home and had to live under tarpaulin in someone’s back yard, or the fact that the father had to miss his eye operation or that his 4-year old son was whimpering from pain caused by his eczema.  I was disgusted at the family’s pride; they let pride make a home in their hearts even though the family no longer has a home to live in.

The family did not want their faces shown in photographs taken for this article because they were afraid they might be recognized at their church.  Absurd!  Pride really muddies their lives.  To the contrary, they should be going to their church and their church should be offering a helping hand.  Isn’t that what Christianity is all about?  Or is their church one of these Samoan churches that practices Give me! Give me! Give me! instead of a church that teaches love of God and love of neighbor?

And sending money back to Samoa for a fa’alavelave again shows the extent of their pride.  They are too proud to say they cannot help because life is tough in N.Z. and they have no money to send.  They obviously placed pride above paying the rent.  Shame on them!

Fa’avale and his wife are quite obviously misplaced immigrants who expect to go through life begging their neighbors, the N.Z. taxpayers and the good Lord who they think will provide all their needs.  Rubbish!  They should get on a plane and come back.  The husband can work in his family plantation, the kids can go to school free of charge, the 4-year-old can have free medical treatment for his eczema and they can live a dignified life no matter how poor they are.  

Come back, Fa’avale, come back home!  Discard your pride in the rubbish bins at Auckland International Airport on the way out and come back to Samoa where you belong! 

 

Peleteli

Apia

Samoa Observer

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