When Empathy is Radical

When Empathy is Radical

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There is so much terror in this world right now. It’s too much for one person to be fully aware of. It’s hard to be fully informed on it all. Like, how can you possibly know all the details of all the atrocities being inflicted while also trying to make sure you can afford rent? Of course we try. I write my feelings about as many situations I’m aware of, that affect me, that I wish were different.

This goes beyond politics. On both sides of the political divide people tolerate death if it aligns with their cause. I just vehemently disagree with that. People being killed in the US right now by their own government, the genocide in Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Sudan. Wherever death is happening – whoever it is happening to – I believe it to be wrong. And this, in our current world, is somehow radical. Basic empathy is radical.

Because when I say I’m against death, I’m against all death. So this also means that the assassination of Charlie Kirk was wrong, even though I completely disagreed with him. Morality around murder isn’t political. It isn’t okay that some people are murdered if they believe different things to us. That leads to tyranny in all cases, regardless of whether you believe yourself to be morally superior or not.

And look, I don’t know all the details surround Alex Pretti and Renee Good. I don’t. There are so many competing stories on these deaths. All I know is, it can’t be a good thing when a government is killing its own people for resisting, for protesting, for watching. It can’t be. And yes, even if Alex had a gun, he lives in a country that’s most famous for its right to arm. And if it gets to a point where there are four or more agents on top of a guy, subduing him, even if he was resisting arrest, there is no justifiable reason to then execute that man. It makes no logical sense.

Why do I write of all this? Because it’s n my mind. Because what’s happening now is affecting my mental health. Because I’m worried about the future of our world. These things don’t happen in isolation. So when people with large followings don’t talk about this stuff, it worries me. Because goodness dies in silence. And some people will be angry at me, will disagree. That’s fine, good even. We should disagree, we should talk. I’d rather have a few people annoyed than to bite my tongue and watch as murder becomes normalised.