Physical deformities and suicide in China

I remember seeing people with physical deformities in America, but maybe because of advanced health care, caring people who will pay the money for surgeries, and maybe the help of the government, I don't remember seeing those people too often. It makes you feel like it is kind of rare. But in China, it seems I come across people more often with deformities I could not imagine living with them in the States. I've seen deformities in China that were quite scary. However, I felt that those people, if they were in America could get surgery to help them. That is, if they wanted help. Sometimes I think Chinese take pride in whatever they were born with. It goes back to Chinese traditional thinking that out of respect for your parents you covet your body. People would not cut their nails and let their hair grow very long. Even today I see some men who have moles with long, long hairs growing out of them. I feel like screaming "Cut that thing!", but that would not be civil.

But besides culture, it makes sense that people live with deformities because health care quality and money is much harder to come by in China. So people who might otherwise get surgery or treatment in the states are left untreated in China. On the streets of Beijing you come across beggers. I have seen more than a few that have severe deformities such as people with terrible burns, leg and arm irregularities, etc. I gave a little money to some of them at first, but later heard that many are part of begging groups, like underground companies, that use their deformities to make money. Additionally I would see one begger in one place on one day, then the same guy in another place the next. I am not sure what to think of it, but I stopped giving away any money.

Finally, some real depressing news. After class, I saw a large crowd of people by a nearby building. I looked up and saw a girl, a student, standing on the ledge of the 3rd story of the building. Below her were some security men waving their hands at her not to jump and parked bicycles. The crowd showed typical emotions, concern, sarcasm, laughter, distress. I saw a girl run up holding her camera. I thought the girl on the ledge would finally show some sense and go back inside. Someone would convince her that whatever problem that may have happened, a boy, school, family, friends, whatever, that it was not something worth jumping off a building over. At first she seemed agitated because of the people behind her and the crowd, then she started looking down intently. A few moments later she heaved forward and jumped. The crowd gasped. I could not believe my own eyes. I turned away not wanting to see the aftermath. I started saying "No, no, no, no..". I just left for my next class, but I was rattled for a good hour. It was the topic of conversation among my classmates for while. In my own mind, I feel over my life I have had times when things were bad, but fortunately never to the point of throwing it all away.