Paul Ellertson, online publishing coordinator

Content warning: mentions of sexual assault 

Is Empathy on the decline? Sometimes it sure looks that way. The first thing I think of when thinking of empathy or lack thereof comes into play is in politics, which is kind of ironic coming from me, a political science major. 

Anyway, many of us think of politicians as nasty people who are after fame, riches, power, or something else they probably do not deserve. Not people who are empathic enough to care for their constituents despite their words. 

When thinking about empathy declining, maybe some of us think of trending videos where people are making fun of others for being overweight, taking a video of someone in danger, or physically struggling with something, instead of helping that person like a normal human being with a little decency.  

Maybe some of us think of many of those assholes who make jokes about sexual assault in person and online. I think that should be probable cause to lock someone up, not to mention actually committing such a heinous crime. It is probably easy to think of at least one instance where it seems like empathy is dying, if not dead. It is a little harder to think of at least one instance where at least one person showed some empathy. 

I would say that there are still many instances of empathy. One such example is the Sumud Freedom Flotilla, made up of people from all over the world and all aspects of life who have joined together to sail with aid such as food, medicine, and drinkable water in an attempt to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza. Another instance of empathy is Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action (MIRAC) (Acción por los Derechos de los Migrantes de Minnesota). This group has been very active in being a deterrent for the pigs who call themselves ICE agents, as well as providing legal resources for undocumented immigrants, and those who are U.S. citizens who are still at risk of being profiled and detained by ICE. 

My final example of empathy is Minnesota Abortion Action Committee(MNAAC), which has made it their mission to make sure women have access to the reproductive care they need, such as a possibly life-saving abortion, as well as promoting sexual health and education around safety and contraception. 

Where there are instances that depict empathy being thrown out the window, there are still instances of people proving time and time again that empathy still exists. From the Sumud Flotilla who, like many of us, understand it would probably suck to have a genocide being committed against you by Israel or some other power with U.S. backing, to those in MIRAC and similar organisations who understand how hard life can be for immigrants, especially under a fascist government like that of the Trump administration. 

As much as many of us probably think of empathy as something of the past, empathy is still very much alive, and there are plenty of people still out there to prove it.