THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS
Dr
Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
28 October, 2010 |
 toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
What is the meaning
of "the ends justify the means?" I will illustrate. A
father who is the sole breadwinner earns $3,000 a month.
His daughter failed to get into the Singapore University
due to not having straight As.
But she is accepted into an Australian University to
pursue her dreams. The yearly cost of accommodation and
tuition fees around $50,000. The mum does not work. So
the source of income of around $36,000 from the father's
earnings as an employee.
The company permitted the father to do outside work. He
did manage to pay for the daughter's first year of
overseas education through a stroke of luck. In the
second year, Lady Luck enabled him to rent and sell a $3
million condo, thereby giving the daughter sufficient
funds. But the timing was not right.
So the father issued 2 cheques of $5,000 and $1,500 for
an interest-free loan in cash. The cheques were dud ones
as they could not be banked in. So, he got part of the
money to prevent the university kicking out the
daughter.
His "ends justify the means". Without the money, the
daughter would be sent back to Singapore. Lady
Luck had been kind to him again as no complaints to his
company were made about his dud cheques. He repaid the
monies 3 months later when the sales of the condo was
completed. What happens if the sales were aborted? The
lender is stuck with no hope of getting his principal
back as this father will say he has no money to pay him.
But there are two more years to go before the daughter
graduates. There are family expenses and money needed
for the younger siblings.
Will Lady Luck still favour the brave father? Can he go
around issuing dud checks to get money for his daughter
and his own expenses? He seems to need monies more than
his earnings.
Is conning other people with dud cheques an honest way
to live? I don't think so. But there are such people
using dud cheques to get the money. It is best not to
lend any money to anybody. A father can sacrifice his
reputation for the sake of his daughter's future and
feels that the "ends justify the means." It will
be best if the daughter studies a different faculty in
Singapore, graduates and then work and after that study
what she wants to.
This will be the sensible approach if the father does
not want to sell his condo. Sales of his condo will have
resolved all his financial problems but his wife does
not want him to do it. So, the pressure of making ends
meet continues daily. Till mental breakdown and suicide
in some cases when the mind snaps or when the employers
decide to sack him.
If death occurs, will the end of a father's life in such
circumstances justify the dreams of a daughter
graduating in a top profession and making big bucks? It
is so sad that this man does not know how to cut his
coat according to his cloth (I think I have got the
incorrect idiom?) |
|
|
|
To
make an appointment: e-mail
judy@toapayohvets.com
tel: +65 9668-6469, 6254-3326 |
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
|
|
 Toa
Payoh Vets
Clinical Research
|
|
|
Copyright ©
Asiahomes Internet
All rights reserved. Revised: October 28, 2010
Toa Payoh Vets
| |
