Empathy in the age of terrorism

We need empathy these days. American leaders and ordinary folk alike have spoken these words of wisdom in similar-dissimilar situations:

"Speak softly," said one president, who carried a large stick. He knew that without any recourse to how we felt inside, the weaponry he held at the ready to use on children and neighbors alike would serve him, in his wheelchair as he was. Politician's discourse was at a height for the warmongers. Then the politician's discourse went on. "There's nothing to fear but fear itself," said the next empathic president, who saw technology being used for science, not war. But we imagined once fear set in, it being a good enemy, would set in permanently. What to do then?

"Always remember," say the good students of Holocaust.

This too, is an attempt to curtail fear. Having been faced with both real and imagined threats all our lives, we took it to the bone and applied in to our micro-spheres. For example, when our children come to us with boo-boos, we always remember: rip the band-aid off quickly if you want no pain. Or is it, slowly, so as not to cause fresh injury? But this one time it was serious, so we tried to speak in whispers to our fear, and struck at it with imaginary blows. For example, I'm about to be singled out for being a freak, the song went. Take that, fear, I'll be singled out for being exemplary and different instead. "It won't hurt a bit."

Real or imagined threat. "This will hurt me more than it hurts you." Clearly this is intended to inspire confidence in parental competence, but it looks to be truer everyday about the jihad.

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