A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

AS THE writer rightly says, what the world needs most now, is empathy for fellow human beings regardless of their citizenship. A tough one, that. While the roots of empathy stem from feeling the pain of the person/people in unfortunate circumstances, there is also the fear of being overthrown by the people that are helped (“Empathy — A Lesson from the California wildires,” DEC.6, THE Gulf TODAY).

I guess humans are inherently good at heart but when fear in many forms rears its head, that’s when all the bad behavior begins. For example, the refugees to Europe. It isn’t the question of whether to help them or not. It’s the question of their numbers and the droves of them arriving to the European countries and bringing with them their own culture and practices.

Humanity has always been about numbers. Unity also means numbers. Thus when ‘outsiders’ arrive in numbers, the threat of culture and security being displaced does arise. Wouldn’t the refugees been helped wholeheartedly if they stayed in their own land and beseeched for help? Aren’t the Californians helped for the same reason? Because they are insiders and there isn’t the same threat that an outsider brings.

Empathy is a good thing. But evolution has also taught us protection of ourselves and what we feel belongs to us. We are where we are because of the possessive trait. Can we be blamed? Ask the refugees, if had tables not been turned what would be their response. It wouldn’t differ in the slightest. Mary Trotter By email