Compassion and Indifference

Compassion and Indifference

As I was waiting in line at the post office today, I considered the best way to Send Flowers to a friend of mine for a promotion well deserved. After paying for postage, though, I quickly forgot about the flowers and returned home to watch today’s Oprah show.
Nothing on the show surprised me, really. Viewers received a very graphic display of what happens to one’s body after you’ve been left to die by the roadside. Oprah’s team interviewed people walking the streets, stunned and dazed, talking of horrific days in the Superdome. The full impact had yet to hit them, and I could see how well a state of shock can serve to protect a human being’s emotions before total reality sets in.
In various social settings over the past few days, I have listened to varying reactions to the hurricane tragedy. The feeling of anger and helplessness was most common, but there were a few who seemed indifferent. Alright, they were extremely indifferent and actually very insensitive to the plight of those caught in the devastation. One pledged ten dollars to the Red Cross (the cost of gas had drained her wallet), the other insisted that the leaders of this country were doing the best they could in this situation and just didn’t understand the anger directed toward them.
I’ll be painfully honest. I know the devastation and pain of losing loved ones. I know what it’s like to have to live without electricity. I know what it’s like to be in direct danger of losing my home. I know what it’s like to be broke and not have food in the refrigerator or cupboards. I know what it’s like to have to get around in extreme heat without a car. I know what it’s like to be far from home, trying to make it.
I’ve had those experiences in isolated cases and I could never imagine what it would be like to suffer these things simultaneously. And still, what I have experienced is nothing compared to what many will emerge to tell in the days and years to come.
The insensitivity of some and the excuses from those we hope to be able to turn to in grave times of trouble such as these are beyond comprehension. How can a person in this country not care about the extent to which their fellow Americans are suffering? Perhaps he doesn’t truly view the people caught in the floods and hurricane as real Americans? How can a leader make excuses for dragging her feet when her fellow human being, a natural disaster survivor, is being further victimized by uncontrolled criminals? How does one authority figure decide that the little babies that have nothing to drink and must sleep alongside feces and corpses can wait for days on end for help? If you decide saving another’s life isn’t worth more than ten dollars, how much more important will someone decide your life is in your time of need?
Thankfully, the relief efforts are finally underway in a manner appropriate for the situation. Many people, many citizens have stepped up and offered whatever they had to these survivors. Thank goodness for compassion and generosity. True leaders have emerged to give their time and dedicate their lives to the survivors. I believe that the survivors will emerge stronger than ever. I hope, however idealistic the sentiment may be, that we all learn to treat each other better and place higher value on compassion. There’s a strong possibility that some deal with the suffering of others by downplaying it, or doing nothing at all. It’s likely that others just don’t care, because they feel that the problem doesn’t affect them. Whatever the case, this country has a lot of work to do and a lot of hearts to mend.


Chandra Adams
Author
Shades of Retribution
www.AdrolitePress.com
www.ChandraAdams.com