The hobbled Ph.D. returns home:
In order to put what he learned to good use, Shyu, after studying overseas for seven years and two months, didn't even hang around for the graduation ceremony, but packed his bags the day after his dissertation defense and headed off to Taiwan. A US social welfare agency offered to hire him at US$72,000 a year, but his heart was set on Taiwan. The reason: There are lots of specialists in handicapped social policy in the US, but Taiwan really lacks talent in this area.
Returning home after completing his studies, Shyu clearly understood that foreign ideas are not necessarily suitable for Taiwan. In order to avoid being stuck in the ivory tower, he chose to enter base level service. As a staff person in the Department of Social Affairs of the provincial government, Shyu was responsible for studying and evaluating the specific implementation of welfare laws for the disabled. In his year there, he drove his car 64,000 kilometers, visiting the more than 50 licensed handicapped organizations on the island to understand the situation on the ground.
"Standards are very mixed at domestic agencies for the handicapped," he points out. Among them are some that only know how to advertise, that are run for profit. The supervision of their finances is less than independent, so that the money often doesn't go to those who really need it. Taking one such organization in Taoyuan as an example, its 300-400 patients receive extremely poor treatment, but it receives the most in subsidies. Some well-intended groups have nothing but enthusiasm, and lack specialized knowledge. Although Shyu really wants to help, there is no legal basis for him to do so. As he tells it, because his responsibilities and powers are limited, he can only "observe with my eyes and remember with my heart" all kinds of oversights and unreasonable conditions, but can't really do anything about them.
After switching professions to become an associate researcher at the Taiwan Province Middle School Teachers' Research Association, he had an opportunity to accept a commission from the Ministry of the Interior to participate in the research and drafting of laws and regulations. However, it turns out that welfare for the disabled comes under the jurisdiction of many different agencies: education under the school authorities, medical care under the health agencies, employment under labor bureaucracies, and special care under social welfare agencies.
"Each department only thinks of resolving the problems they face today," says Shyu. This "uncooperative division of labor" severely affects implementation of welfare for the disabled. "Even if today there were a complete set of laws on the books, without some overarching administrative agency, it would be just as impossible to do anything as it is now," he laments.
It was only at this point that Shyu realized that he could only put his ideals into effect by participating in the legislative process, without allowing anyone to short-circuit things. Thus he came up with the idea of running for legislator.
You can't win if you don't buy votes?
But an election is a contest of intelligence, physical durability, and finances.
"I always thought an election would mean big glasses of champagne and banquets," recalls campaign assistant Chiang Chun-ming. "I never expected that over three months I wouldn't touch a drop, and would be eating take-out boxed lunches every day." And Sherry Chiu was often so busy that "I would forget to eat for a whole day."
Even more trying than the physical exhaustion were the malicious, hurtful comments and cold hearted ridicule. One person shouted, "What do you think you're going to do in the Legislative Yuan? How are you going to be able to fight it out with crutches? It'll be hard to even protect your own life!" Others said, "You'll never get elected if you don't pay for your votes." Some even went so far as "Shyu is faking those bad legs!"
Fortunately, there were more people who were encouraging than abusive. Many organizations for the disabled rushed to help this candidate with the clean image and the clear principles. Some people came forward to volunteer; the three-wheeled motorcycle brigade of handicapped groups covered more than 100 kilometers in a single day; and one father of a handicapped child knelt on the ground, appealing to passers-by that Shyu just had to win. One person even brought the title to their home, their ID, and their name chop, and wanted to turn them over to Shyu so he could use the house to cover campaign expenses--and that was the only place that that person has.
With this kind of support pushing Shyu forward, "I didn't know where my voting base was supposed to be, but just kept moving, and slowly people's enthusiasm began to grow," he says.
Although Shyu did not lack for helpers at all sides, none of them had election experience. The campaign headquarters was chaotic, without even a director. After the victory, Chiang Chun-ming presented Shyu with a humorous couplet: "Chaos to the highest point, order in the heart." The matching calligraphy across the top read, "Highest number of votes."
Each vote another expectation:
They didn't know where the votes were supposed to come from before the election, and knew even less about where they came from afterwards. Taking Tantzu for example, it was estimated that Shyu could hope for about 3,000 votes there, but when the slips were counted there were 7,000-plus. In Taichung County, where local political factions are clear-cut and strong, it was really incredible that Shyu, belonging to neither the "Red Faction" nor the "Black Faction," could break through the factions and resist the onslaught of financially well-off candidates.
Shyu is convinced that some of these were "sympathy votes." But "crutches aren't for propping up others' sympathy," he points out. Calling himself the "hobbled Ph.D." shows that he had already accepted his situation, but also shows that he hopes to use his specialized knowledge to give even more disabled people hope, so they can escape from a sense of inferiority and assimilate into society.
Shyu's victory made those who placed their hopes in him even more excited than Shyu himself. Besides being happy that he did not let people down, Shyu's most significant feeling was, "the responsibility on my shoulders is even greater." "It's easy to repay a debt of money, hard to repay a debt of gratitude. With each vote the people gave me, they gave me one part sentiment and one part expectation," explains Shyu. In the future, he wants to repay them with legislative achievements, and he doesn't dare rest for a day.
Promoting social welfare is Shyu's central task. He says that the first thing he wants to do after entering the Legislative Yuan is to see to it that the government sets up a specialized agency for social policy. The second is to promote a comprehensive increase in spending on social welfare, and to oversee the government so that it puts the money where it is needed most. After that he wants to review and study the laws on the people's livelihood. . . .
Over the next several years, there's going to be a "warrior on crutches" in the Legislative Yuan. How will he get his ideals into practice? What kind of report card will he bring home to his constituents? It's all just beginning.
[Picture Caption]
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For Shyu, the end of the election marks just the beginning.
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The day the campaign headquarters was set up, advocacy groups for the handicapped came to cheer Shyu on. Many people also volunteered to work, give Shyu and his wife a big morale boost. (photo courtesy Eric Shyu)
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Just having a truck circulating to broadcast "Thank You" to supporters was not enough; Shyu personally visited homes to express thanks to show the sincerity of his gratitude.
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Shyu often goes to agencies for the disabled to walk around. The photo shows a recent visit to mentally handicapped firends at a center in Taya Rural Township in Taichung.
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Shyu was very active as a student in the US, even being elected head of the Chineses students' association at the University of Northern Colorado. (photo courtesy of Eric Shyu)
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Shyu, who places great emphasis on his family life, has been out the door early and home late ever since the election, and hasn't had the chance to enjoy his family in a long time.
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He's by no means lonely, but neither is he entranced by popularity and applause. When someone comes along to take his place, Shyu will readily step back.