Empathy vs Apathy ... August 2020

The election vitriol is bringing out one conspicuous difference between the Democratic and Republican attitudes - Empathy vs Apathy. First, the definitions of the terms:

Empathy is when Joe Biden connects with his Amtrak staff and checks on the well-being of their families; empathy is when Joe Biden advises a young man with a speech problem; empathy is when Joe Biden's eyes well up hearing about the loss of a child.

Empathy is also when Joe Biden can build bridges across the political aisle and see another point of view; empathy is when Joe Biden can share a meal and a joke with John McCain.

Apathy is when Donald Trump talks about 170,000 COVID-19 deaths as "it is what it is." Apathy is when the Kurds, our allies, are left high-and-dry with a knee-jerk withdrawal of US troops from an unstable area. Apathy is when Donald Trump doesn't wear a mask, and thousands of his followers follow suit. Apathy is when Donald Trump suggests cutting down on COVID-19 testing so the positive findings are lower.

Apathy is when the buck never stops with the Commander-in-Chief.  There is always another neck on the line - sometimes, a loyal advisor; sometimes, a Chief of Staff; sometimes, the National Security Advisor; sometimes, an Attorney General.

Donald Trump loves to win, who doesn't? He was to be winning so much, to the point of getting tired of winning. 

Donald, you have won much, and we join you in being tired - actually, totally exhausted from your winning. Some of your wins, since the day you took office:

• Galvanized women and men to march for women's dignity; galvanized Blacks and non-Blacks to strengthen the Black Lives Matter movement; galvanized Muslims and non-Muslims to protest the Muslim ban - upheld the right to protest
• Put aside environmental protections so oil exploration can proceed unhindered - full-throttled industrial progress
• Legitimized bigotry and explicit racism, so people don't have to keep their feelings suppressed - upheld freedom of expression
• Took innovation to a new high with the ideas like ingesting bleach to kill the virus - advanced frontiers of science
• Won the election with Russia's help - demonstrated international camaraderie

The list goes on.

Apathy, move over; it is time for some Empathy now!