Along with the A-Z Challenge I thought I would do some hopping too (It is April..Easter..Bunny..hop)

Get Wired Wednesday :http://victoriasvoice44.blogspot.com

Mid Week Mingle http:giveittometara.blogspot.com

A-Z Writing Challenge   http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

I chose the word…  empathy.

I studied empathy in great detail  because I am either blessed or cursed (depending on how you look at it) with an overwhelming amount of empathy.  The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts and pain of others in an objective matter.  That is me.  Whether. I. want.it.to.be.or.not.

I must have been born with all this empathy because I’m quite sure I didn’t receive it from anyone as a child.

I believe the lack of empathy toward other human beings or animals is the first sign of serious mental challenges.  You know the saying if a child is harmful to animals right?

I’m not sure empathy is something that can be taught.  I am quite sure it can be faked.

Bully’s are great fakers of empathy.  There are those that appear to be sweet, kind and sensitive people.  Then there are…their victims. I believe some bullies do lack empathy.  They get a perverted joy in causing their victim physical or emotional pain.  Some bullies are just sad people that desperately need attention.  Then there are those that have a sick jealousy of the attention their victims receive and they want to remove any joy their victim may feel.

Empathy gets murky when you examine the details of my brother’s murder.  One of his attackers for certain and possibly another were completely devoid of anything resembling empathy.  I am certain of the one because he was a childhood friend of my son’s and his little sister was my daughter’s playmate.  I once saw this kid run and jump on his sister’s hand.  He laughed hysterically as she screamed out in agony.  She was 3.  My son who was 6 said “That wasn’t nice”.  I was relieved he did not think it was funny.

The remainder of the “Bristol boyz’, I believe suffered from gang mentality.  Gang mentality is similar to conspiracy in the sense that no conversation has to take place and no plan need be formulated.  One takes action and the others wanting to be ‘part of’ join in on the action.  Adrenaline and testosterone rushes through their veins.  These actions certainly lack of any moral conviction and of course lacking in good judgment.

A writer; one of my favorites and one for whom I had a great deal of respect has been bashing the Catholic Church online since the story broke a few weeks ago of yet another abusive priest.  A few comments I could understand; a debate maybe…but no this is bashing.  Okay I get it you hate priests.  Please do not poison the rest of us with your hate.  I understand this as a lack of empathy for the millions of Catholics around the world; the families of the priests and certainly the innocent victims.

You see; you do not get to stomp all over the feelings of many Catholics because of a few Catholics and then turn around and call someone who disagrees with our President’s policies racist.  You do not get to drag a woman through the mud without one thought of her family and friends and expect us to believe you support a woman’s rights.  You do not get to call the host of a television show a liar and threaten to harm his small children and expect us to believe you support peace.  You do not get to call all Muslims terrorists just because there are a few thousand that want to kill us.

What do you think; can empathy be learned or is the lack of empathy some sort of genetic malfunction?  What would you do if your 8 year old son killed the family cat…or worse yet the neighbor’s cat.

Doreen