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I usually give 0 Fs about the news, but this really made me so mad. I agree. The old man was not right to touch a stranger’s kid. But physically using that much force to push an old man at that age, someone who is clearly weaker than you? That man is a bully. His wife could have just said no. Literally, the old man was just trying to get to wherever he was going. It’s not like he was sticking around or deliberately trying to get closer to the child. He can’t even stand properly without support, for fuck’s sake. Look, I am at the age where both my parents are elderly, and one has been diagnosed with dementia. Sometimes they aren’t even aware that their actions could come across as inappropriate or ill-intentioned, because many things we consider unacceptable today simply weren’t viewed the same way in their generation. If someone did this to my parents, I would never forgive them. More than 20% of Singapore’s population is elderly. Our country takes pride in being accessible for them, and we grew up being taught to look out for the elderly and the young, give up your seat, hold the lift, help someone who needs support. Our parents’ generation grew up in the kampung days of Singapore, where everyone on the same street knew one another and looked out for each other. My dad and mum now live in separate towns, and they both know all their neighbours. They’re constantly giving things to one another. When I bring stuff over, I literally bring extras so they can distribute them to their neighbours and friends, because that gives them joy. My mum used to work as a hawker, and everyone there knew her. She would give the kids angpaos, and every time I visited her, I would somehow end up going home with bags of food people had given me. Sharing. Socialising. Being nice to others. Looking out for one another. Respecting the elderly. These are the values I grew up with. Then I saw comments from parents saying the old man shouldn’t have touched someone else’s kid because his hands might be dirty and he could spread germs. Okay. Does that justify physically pushing someone with that much force? When I had my chihuahua, I used to bring him around in his pram. Kids would rush over to pat his head, touch his body and even tug his tail. Sometimes their parents laughed even when I repeatedly told the kids to stop. Would it have been right for me to physically hit their kids or violently pull them away? Of course not. There was also a separate case recently where a child was randomly walking on a road with moving cars. A male driver stopped and carried the child to safety. Technically, he had even more physical contact with that child. Should he not have touched the kid? Should he have stood there and watched because he was afraid the parents might get angry? And that genuinely made me ask myself: if I were in that position, what is the right thing to do? Because apparently we have reached a point where someone could be trying to bring your child to safety and still have to wonder whether a parent might hit them for touching their kid. You can teach people not to touch your children without teaching your children that violence against someone old, frail and physically weaker is an acceptable response. I hope the law brings this to justice because our elderly in Singapore deserve to be protected too. And parents, I know your kids are the apple of your eye. Protect them. Set boundaries. Tell people no when necessary. But please also use common sense and lead by example. Your daughter is literally standing there, watching and learning from you. One day, you will be old and weak too. Is this how you want her to treat you?