On Compassion
“On Compassion” simply states the reality of compassion. Though it does not state it in a very straight forward way, the use of small scenarios brings about the question of whether compassion is in some cases natural or “just because”.
These small scenarios are more like examples of compassion or at least why some people have the reaction of compassion. As the essay begins a poor main is described in he city of New York, as the scenario continues a Caucasian woman is introduced with gripping onto a stroller with her baby in it. The point of this scenario is that eventually she looks for money to give to the poor black man, who ends up standing right in front of her and her child. Though she ends up giving money to the poor man, the real argument here is whether or not she did it as a result of having compassion for the man, or if she was simply afraid of him, and wanted him to just go away.
Though one might begin to read this essay with an open mind and maybe even argue that, no most people give money or help others as a result of having compassion. However, the scenarios which follow the first example are rather interesting to the point that it would leave a person or two, in question about compassion and fear.
The last two examples are that of a coffee shop and an owner who instantly gives a beggar coffee and bread, instantly, as soon as he walks into the fancy coffee shop. The question that rises from this example is whether or not the owners’ decision of giving away coffee and bread was out of compassion for the old man, or was simply to just get rid of his presence in her “fancy coffee shop”. In addition to this example the very last example is very intriguing. The scenario is about New York City’s mayor, who decides to basically “scoop” some if not all poor or homeless people from the streets and/or parks of NYC, to be moved into Bellevue Hospital. The question of this example is that one can argue about freedom, and whether or not poor people are free to be poor and homeless are free to homeless. Were the mayors’ intentions an action of compassion towards these poor or homeless people, or were his actions leaning more towards having his city “clean cut”.
There were three lines that were very interesting to me in this essay.
“They question whether the rights of these people who live in our parks and doorways are being violated by involuntary hospitalization.”
Personally, I disagree with this line, especially the last two words of it. Though the question in general raises the question about the rights of people, the fact that “involuntary hospitalization” was included, did not really make me agree with the idea. The reason is because involuntary hospitalization would make anyone believe that these poor and homeless people are being brought into a hospital where bad things will be done to them. On the contrary these so called “involuntary hospitalized” patients are fed and offered a warm bed to sleep on when they arrive to the hospital.
“Raw humanity offends our sensibilities.”
This is one short yet straight to the point line that I very much agree with in this essay. This sentence describes reality. Though it only contains five words, thinking out of the box and really analyzing what it is trying to explain, will automatically make one agree with it. The fact that the truth about the world, or even just NYC, is something that if not “offends”, scares people who are surrounded by it. The reality of the homeless and the poor is something that in an involuntary way disturbs people. The reason is because people are extremely sensible. I can personally include myself as a sensible one. When I stop at a red light and someone comes up to beg for money, I fear them. However, I don’t fear the way they look or the way they beg. What I fear is the reason why they beg. In most of not all cases, people beg because they have nothing. And that nothing, and that nothing means something to those of us who can at least go to a home or have dinner at a certain restaurant, it means that one day we can to have nothing. Regardless of anything, it is a very small world, and anything can happen to anyone.
“Ladies in high-heeled shoes pick their way through poverty and madness.”
This line is one that I agree with. Though it only focuses on women and their high heels, there is more to this sentence then it reads. The truth behind it all is that in a city like Manhattan, everyone is basically in their own world. People come and go, they eat here and there, and they run to this cab or this bus. They all do one same thing though, and that is, they all do it through poverty and madness. Manhattan can be as bright and luminous as it is but the reality is that it is too covered with poor and homeless people as well as well dressed ladies in high heels.
Homeless
This essay is mainly about the homeless as the title states. However, the message of this essay is of what the meaning of being homeless is. It is the meaning that is not mistakenly believed by many but the meaning that has been lost throughout time. The true meaning of having a home and not having one is that a person losses options, decisions, likes, dislikes, but most importantly ownership. Having a home is being able to make it ones sacred place a place where he or she feels comfortable. A home is not just a place where one can sleep, eat, have fun, and not be cold. It is a place where memories are shared and experiences are experienced. It is a place that has not become a real estate and more like an “object” than a place of love. A person can have a mansion but a person living in a shack could probably have more love in it than any million dollar mansion.
There were three lines that were very interesting to me in this essay.
“You are where you live.”
I agree with this line because I can relate to it. Personally, I wouldn’t be the person I am if it weren’t for the home I have. Others can consider me lucky for having such a nice big place, but the truth to it is that where I live makes me who I am not because of my well fit room or because of all the electronics I have. I am where I live because of the love I come home to every day. It is of the decision I hold to sit and have dinner with my family, walk my dog, look in my mirror, and watch television with my family. “You are where you live” in my opinion does not define one because of what he or she has but because of what he or she can do in it and I with it.
“Suddenly where you lived was where you lived for three years, until you could move on to something else and something else again.”
This line is very interesting because it is an example of the reason why homes aren’t “homes” anymore. It is a good example of how homes have now turned into “a place to stay”. Having a family move from one place to another not only makes the family lose memories of each other, but simply separates them. Having an unstable place to call home makes each member if not every single one, live in his or her own world.
“Homes have stopped being homes. Now they are real estate”
This line caught the most attention to me. The reason is because not only is it true but more and more people buy real estates. People are now deciding to buy a house, not a home.
A quick personal story, my brother works for Weicherts real estate, and every other day he’ll tell me a funny story about the people that call asking to buy houses, apartments, or others estates. However, with this reading, I noticed that not only has he never said, “So today I got a call and the lady said I would like to buy a home.” Maybe I am taking it to personal or maybe thing extremely out of the box, but when I thought about it. A home has become more of an object to people. Luxurious so called “homes” have beautiful dining rooms with extremely expensive china and a sixteen to twelve seats, but what is the whole point of having such things when there is no family to sit, share stories, and eat together.
