"As we close out a third week with President Trump, there are reminders everywhere of all that divides us. We are at odds. The Judiciary challenges a president's ban on immigration. An administration is seemingly hell bent on building a wall -- regardless of the cost. And a legislative branch has lost all semblance of comity, where dissenting voices have literally been silenced. Nevertheless, we persist. We must persist. And by persist, I mean, we as Americans must continue to go about our daily lives. We need to be responsible for ourselves, our families, and our broader communities as well as our country.
It is becoming increasingly clear that President Trump measures victories by creating opposition. This constant state of fear mongering and finger pointing leaves our electorate on edge, to say the least. And when we feel shaken, it is hard to think of others. It deprives us of the worthy empathy for our fellow Americans, regardless of how they voted. This a fight for the soul of our nation.
The definition of empathy is the ability to understand others - to share their feelings. This is different from compassion, which is when one has pity or sorrow. Empathy is a case of commonality. Sympathy is one of separation. Empathy is the key to finding common ground, on working together in communities, caring for our neighbors and helping the marginalized, the powerless and the suffering amongst us. It is practicing what many consider "the Golden Rule", but for President Trump, our collective empathy may be more like kryptonite. It may turn out to be a form of resistance - for not succumbing to suspicion or even hate. Strong indications suggest our President is not very interested in uniting our United States. His actions demonstrate that he seeks success by tearing people down and keeping us all apart.
We have a steep and icy road ahead of us. There is palpable fear in the air. We need to find a way to raise our voices and listen with our hearts. Healing, unity, hope...our bywords as we persist with empathy."
ここには何もないようです