As is often the case with most people, we
humans encounter in the short course of our lives one too many peculiar
characters. While most of these characters have been endowed with compassion
and human-like qualities, others grow to resemble, both in personality and
physical traits, something akin to the Wicked Witch of the West.
It is a habit of mine to roam
message boards more often than I wish to admit. These message boards function
as an avenue through which people's extreme views are expressed--most of which are protected by a veil of
anonymity. In other words, everything they say, however inhumane, will not count
as two strikes against them. And, of course, one would expect to see glimpses
of human compassion on writing. This is not the case. One particular post
caught my attention: Health care. Obamacare has been an issue of contention
among the general public--it seems to me that an agreement will never be
reached --and suffice it to say, the poor is suffering the consequences of this
political battle.
I have witnessed injustices,
apathy, and scorn aimed at the poor. The sad reality is that there is plenty of
punitive attitudes toward this social class.
It is not uncommon to find that
some people's opinions are unfounded and illogical, and as a way to compensate for our prejudices this holiday season, we should be grateful not only for the abundance of food on
our table, but also for the privilege of having a roof over our heads, for not
having to worry about where we'll sleep or how we'll eat, and for having a
loving family who cares for us. The fact of the matter is that our genetics,
brain chemistry, biography, and fate are stacked in our favour. We're the lucky
one percent.
Unfortunately, the same can't be
said about the victims of poverty. It goes without saying that irresponsible
behavior, reckless decisions, abuse of narcotics, laziness and criminality are
the contributing elements to poverty in our nation. But, why should some pay for
the mistakes of others? It is estimated that 45 percent of food stamp recipients
are children. Why should children go hungry as a result of their parents' bad
decisions? Why do we turn a blind eye to these statistics? Why, when we walk
down the street and spot a homeless person, do we lower our gaze and go about
our business instead of stopping to lend a helping hand to a needy soul? Where
is the empathy?
According to researchers, the homeless are perceived as objects, such a table,
rather than living, breathing human beings. Why is this so? Researchers point out that 95 percent of the population's overall attitude toward someone
is determined by the level of competence and warmth they are perceived to
possess. In other words, the homeless is perceived as low in both competence
and warmth. Basically, because these two components are crucial to our growth,
homeless people are dehumanized at a basic neural level. However, what this
study fails to indicate is that, at the root, these attitudes reflect a
staggering dearth of empathy. How can we then reclaim our sense of compassion,
our ability to understand the suffering of others? It seems to me that, as we
take a step toward modernization, we are slowly drifting toward an emotionally uncivilized state. If we cannot find a way to change this, will
there ever be any hope for us? Are we on the road to becoming mindless cavemen,
determined to survive but focusing less and less on the well-being of others?
Compassion, love, and forgiveness
should not be perceived as weaknesses, but, rather, as primary ingredients in
our growth as a merciful race.
