I realize I am feeling...

I realize I am feeling sad about all the difficult, painful, some of them terrible things in the world.

Not only the big ones, like the earthquake in Haiti or the fouling of the Gulf.  The attack on Pearl Harbor.  The Nazi death camps.  9/11.  The great many people (Americans) who have lost their jobs, houses, pensions, vacations, and health care in the Great Recession.

But the little ones, too.  The things that hurt people's feelings.  The mistakes, the oversights, the slights.

There are so many!

I am not going to deny that there are good things in the world as well.  Nobody is arguing that.  Perhaps Mother Theresa?  Perhaps a clear, sunny day with a little breeze and green grass growing, maybe some flowers nearby?  A hamburger for dinner, grilled appropriately, from good meat with a soft bun with sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, a bit of lettuce and a bit of pickle relish and mustard?

I am not going to argue that.

But what I am feeling now, quite intensely, is sadness about all of the difficult, painful, terrible things in the world.  There are so many!  And many of them are our own (collectively) fault.

We could do better.  

We have religion, philosophy, etiquette, aesthetics, laws, and government to teach us how.

We have morality; we have at least a certain degree of intelligence and sensitivity.

But we don't.  But we won't.

Comments

[Snowy]

Maybe this will cheer you up, DrD.

[DoctorD42]

Thanks, Snowy.  I skimmed only, but will read more carefully.

I think I would feel better if some tiny few didn't have such a huge portion of the nation's wealth, and if they would simply pay their fair share of taxes.  I have sort of a "Committee to Rule the World" fear about such a large-scale philanthropic enterprise described  Just for starters, I doubt very much that Mr. and Mrs. Gates actually know anything about education and its ills.  I would rather have the Department of Education deciding how extra money might best be spent that Melinda and Bill.

We have effectively turned over the operation of our private sector economy to a relatively small number of wealthy people and their corporations.  We are in the process of turning over American government to them, too.  Should we turn over the private social service sector as well?  I am dubious, and I am suspicious.

At the same time, it for sure is the case that in the past some among the wealthy added significantly to the lives of ordinary Americans.  Carnegie and public libraries.  Rockefeller and national parks.

I appreciate the article.  You raise an idea that I need to think about more.  Thanks.

[Lauri]

I definitely understand your feelings, DrD. I thought it was just me who has been feeling a bit more "down" this year. Pain and suffering and the "human condition"....ha....the condition of every creature in existence....has always upset me.
I feel pain for every tiny creature that dies. (but, yet, I DO enjoy that delicious burger!!!)
And for the negative things that happen every day by the zillions all around the world.
I don't know if having access to so much information is always good for us.
I am fairly sure that relatively speaking there has always been about the same percentage?!? of horrible things happening to animals and people the universe over.
Peoples and creatures have always suffered. There were always those who were slightly buffered from suffering. And those just trying to survive minute to minute and didn't really have time or resources to worry about suffering they just had to survive.
But hearing every story...I know that I take them all in and sometimes it's not good for me. I have to constantly remind myself that there is as much "good" out there...and probably more than there ever has been. Have humans ever been so concerned for animals, for the environment? I do think some progress has been made.
It's damn slow and so many humans are disgusting ignoramuses...but I still think we are making progress.
I hope.....:)