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Chivalry is Dead, But That Doesn't Mean That Our Compassion Has to Die With it.

We no longer have compassion and empathy for others, myself included.  Do you remember when the 9-11 attacks happened on the twin towers? Of course you do.  We all do.  In fact, we all know exactly what we were doing the exact minute that it happened.  However, do you know exactly what you were doing when the latest school shooting was reported? I don't.  Do you remember exactly what you were doing when the last nightclub was shot up? I don't.  What about the last time there was a hit and run on a child in the city? Nope.  Neither do I.  

We are now immune.

We scroll through horrific stories of tragedy on social media and we don't even pause to read the details.  I'm worried about us.  I'm worried for my children.  Where are all so intelligent, but where in the hell did our hearts go?

We videotape fights and tragedies and take the time to post it on social media, while never, not for one second, stepping in to help.  No, we videotape it instead because that's what is more important to us.

Chivalry is dead, but we need to utilize our very much alive, beating hearts.


Comments

  1. Elephant's ChildDecember 15, 2018 at 6:38 PM

    An emphatic yes. Empathy has sharp teeth and bites the person who carries it but I MUCH prefer it to the alternative.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChristineDecember 15, 2018 at 7:19 PM

    I hope we are not immune, but you are right, so much tragedy and violence all around us it is hard to deal with it all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pat HattDecember 16, 2018 at 7:43 AM

    There's always been a lot of bad crap, just only so much funneled to us before the internet. Now we know so much that it is hard for people to care because it would just be draining. Sucks no matter how you look at it though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Julie Tucker-WolekDecember 16, 2018 at 9:42 AM

    SO much tragedy around us, and it makes me so sick when people film tragic events instead of helping.

    ReplyDelete
  5. MagyarDecember 24, 2018 at 1:06 PM

    __ So clearly written and understood Kristen_!

    ants in a teacup
    stampede through this rounded trap
    their goal never known

    __ When I sense the self centered logic of daily life, I often think of this senryu that I had scribbled so long ago.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rajiv SankarapillaiJanuary 1, 2019 at 1:35 PM

    Good post.
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete

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