I heard an interview on NPR last night, in which a human rights specialist with the UN expressed frustration with the paper-pushing bureaucracy and sluggish action for which the UN was famous. Asked what he thought was needed, he replied, Empathy. He elaborated, saying that too few people are actually present, as he had been, in situations involving genocide or its aftermath. If more people had the direct experience necessary to really feel what that kind of hated, danger, and large-scale murder was like, they would be more motivated to act, to intervene. So Im listening to this, and Im thinking, Yeah, there are entire nations being bullied, murdered, and starved out there. Actively. By very bad people. And I have to wonder...it feels so good to talk about Peace, and to work for it, but I think part of the conversation needs to be: Is the world really ready for it? Or do we need to do some non-peaceful work first? Ask yourself how youd answer this question if you were down on the pavement getting the shit kicked out of you, and people were standing around watching. Exercise that empathy before replying.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 20:05:05 +0000
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