Lessons learned from two tragedies Recently, two very different tragedies involving Hongkongers took place. Both involved a death - one a baby and the other a volunteer who died doing voluntary work in Qinghai . The difference was that one was due to a cruel act of a 17- year-old mother and the other happened due to the kindness of Qinghai volunteer Wong Fuk-wing, who died trying to save orphans from a collapsed building after the recent earthquake. Last month, a 17-year-old secretly gave birth to a baby. Not wanting her parents and friends to know, she dumped the baby in a rubbish bin close to where she lived. This is so different from the case of volunteer Wong who was working in a Qinghai centre for orphans when the earthquake struck on April 17. He sacrificed his life for orphans who were trapped in a collapsed building. He was killed in an aftershock. I think the 17-year-old should learn from that brave volunteer how to cherish children's lives. Tiffany Yeung, Leung Shek Chee College Let's see better Expo behaviour, please The Expo 2010 Shanghai has now opened. Apart from preparing exhibition halls, the government also put a lot of effort into educating people on good behaviour at public events. But when I watched the news about the Expo, it was clear that mainland citizens had not taken the government lessons to heart. People could be seen throwing rubbish and refusing to queue, among other things. I think this kind of behaviour leaves a very bad impression on foreigners. Although the mainland is developing very fast and the GDP is increasing every year, if it cannot educate its citizens to behave properly, it cannot be a successful country. This is clearly an area that requires a lot more work. How can we enjoy the Expo and appreciate all the work that has been put into when we are surrounded by people who push and shove and don't know the meaning of basic good manners? I am looking forward to not only going to the Expo but also seeing mainland citizens behaving well there. Jack Tam Ming-ki Minimum wage has pros and cons There has been debate over how high the city's minimum wage should be. Legislative Council lawmaker Cheung Yu-yan, for example, said it should be HK$20, which has angered certain sectors of society, which argue that the number is too low to sustain any kind of lifestyle in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the city's two major workers' organisations - the Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Trade Unions - have both demanded a minimum hourly wage of HK$33, so as to improve the lives of many low-income workers. They argue that is a fair amount for people working long hours for little money. I think their suggestion is reasonable. Some people are working long hours and still do not make enough money to cover their basic expenses. This is really unfair. Setting a minimum wage will ensure that unskilled workers will not be exploited by their employers. At least they won't have to work hard just for HK$16 an hour, and they can pay their bills. On the downside, if such a minimum wage was established and low-income workers' wages went up, so would the expenses for many companies. Companies might decide to lay off employees to cut costs. This would increase unemployment, which in turn would affect Hong Kong's economy. What's more, some companies might make the minimum wage the maximum wage. No matter whether you are a secretary, a salesperson or even a cleaner, you could end up receiving the same wage as everybody else. This is a policy that requires very careful consideration before it is implemented. Sophie Pang Pei-yan, Pooi To Middle School