Why we should care?
December 17, 2007 by sagefever
Today’s post is short and I hope sweet, sweet with truth and meaning. This is the third “anniversary” of my son, Kelsey’s death and this is all I have in me….
Why we should care? A race related post on another blog resulted in a heated exchange, as they so often do. The question was asked in relation to “whites” caring about the “plight of the blacks”… if they cared nothing about helping themselves, in the posters view, why should we?
I caught an excellent documentary on Tony Kushner, the great American playwright. One of his colleague’s comments sparked this reply.
For a book, a piece of artwork, a film, a play to work, the reader, and the viewer is asked to do one thing~
we must have empathy. We listen to one actor speak to another and must believe and feel for and about the character. The focus of the piece of art requires the same, in a slightly different manner but for art to work it must “move’ us somehow.
In a democracy we must have empathy for the “other” for the concept to work, ~ we must have concern for each and everyone. If one is “in it” only for ones self, there is no true democracy, one must think of the greater good.
E Pluribus Unum
From Many One
Interestingly, both concepts ~theater and democracy~ come from the same place and time. Eternal twins in time and thought. Still, after these many years, the potential and the promise of both concepts remain only partially explored, and unfulfilled.
There are the happy and content among us, there are those who are angry and hungry. The content must reach out and care. They must never let their plenty turn them complacent. The hungry must reach out and try and never let their anger cause harm.
We are in this together and must never lose sight of that fact or of each other.
Peace as always and in all ways~
I pray for peace in your heart as you struggle with the loss. Your tags say it all.
We care when we feel it. And when we judge about someone else’s caring, we are not caring for ourselves.
Peace to All.
Sage..I enjoyed our lunch today. You are a wonderful, vibrant person that has an infectous laugh and a great smile..it lights up your whole face.
Just remember that poem I put in one of your posts..about Grief. It isn’t something that comes, you deal and it leaves you..Its something that will change you and always be there somewhere in your life.
We must do lunch again soon
Thanks Dusty~ and the same to you! We old broads just keep getting better and better…it really did cheer me up,so lunch is a must do soon!
It is as Jacob Marley said. Mankind is MY business.
As an “off-white” myself, I know how internal the external prejudices can be taken by the hearts of those stung by it. The privileged white people who talk about minorities “not wanting” to help themselves do not realize how internal that despair can become.
Changing that mindset is an enormous task, and one can’t expect 4 centuries of enforced inferiority to disappear from the hearts and minds of those deemed inferior overnight. The people who expect otherwise just don’t know what it’s like.