Drowning in a Sea of Cruelty

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I never cease to be amazed by the cruelty… It’s everywhere you look.

I wish I had $5 for every time I’ve said aloud and (silently) to myself:

“What’s wrong with people?”

Whether it’s litter on the street or videos on the Internet, the level of barbarity is astounding. Who in the world thinks it’s okay to toss their garbage on the ground when there’s a trash can nearby? And if there isn’t a trash can available, how about you take that garbage home and dispose of it there?

And the videos of individuals approaching others on the street, verbally attacking them for no other reason than their ethnicity, skin color, or religion, are unbelievable.

Have they always been this inconsiderate and mean? I don’t recall hearing or reading about so many instances of people harming each other and the planet in such a wide range of ways.

Of course, when you’re a kid, there’s a lot that you’re oblivious to or don’t understand. But I’m talking about the 1980s, 90s, and early aughts. These were the years I spent in school, raising a family, and eventually, reinventing myself.

Was I just too busy to notice?

Or, is it as they say: the 24-hour news cycle brings all the bad news from all over the world straight into our homes around the clock? We’re constantly bombarded, and it got me thinking about all the ways cruelty manifests itself:

Types of Cruelty

• Emotional - Insults/ridicule/gaslighting/withholding affection or support

• Physical - Violence/abuse/neglect/torture or excessive punishment

• Psychological - Intimidation/threats/bullying/dehumanization

• Social - Exclusion/ostracism/slander/gossip/public shaming

• Systemic - Discrimination/oppression/indifference to suffering

• Digital - Cyberbullying/doxxing/trolling

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A recent example of this, which quite literally stunned me:

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. became the target of harassment from “fans” after allowing seven runs during a 10-run first inning on May 10th, in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The online persecution included death threats directed against McCullers and his two young daughters.

Seriously?

The guy has a bad game, so we’re gonna murder him AND his kids?

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We see endless examples of cruelty every day in the news, in our neighborhoods, and on the Internet. Sadly, it’s not just the random private citizen. Someone we could point to and say that they had a poor upbringing, which resulted in emotional or mental problems. Maybe they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Or, perhaps they were born with a “mean gene,” if such a thing exists.

No, now it includes large groups of people and those in power in our society and government. They’re highly educated (some from Ivy League institutions) and have worked in various forms of law enforcement and leadership, including governance, policing, lawyering, and serving as judges on the bench.

Shouldn’t these people know better? Shouldn’t they, of ALL people, understand the laws and Constitution better than most? They took an oath to uphold both, but now want to change their meaning through interpretive gymnastics to further an authoritarian agenda.

These are the same offices and institutions that once guided our society within the parameters of a constitutional federal republic, defined as:

A form of government where the power is held by the people, exercised through elected representatives, and limited by a constitution that defines the fundamental principles and laws of the state.

The problem, of course, is that the people (who have the power through the vote) have changed over the past few decades. And not for the better.

It used to be that if you didn’t like or approve of something, you wouldn’t affiliate with or participate in it, but you also wouldn’t trample on the rights of other citizens.

Not so today. Those people came together online and discovered that they weren’t alone in their prejudices and hatred. They had company, and lots of it. Feeling secure in numbers and strengthened by a political party that gave its seal of approval, the hoods and masks came off.

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I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty, too, shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more. ~Anne Frank

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Are we doomed as Anne Frank once felt, living her final years hiding in a cramped attic and then, after being captured, in concentration camps?

Some days it feels that way.

And yet, she also felt a sense of hope looking up at the sky, something boundless and without barriers. A sky that further connected her to the universe and infinite freedom.

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Each of us has the opportunity to promote humanity and make the world a better place for all people.

We demonstrate this through our speech, actions, and willingness to do whatever work is necessary. Offer support where needed and call out the lies - speaking truth to power when necessary and leading by example.

It’s exhausting, and we must take care not to deplete ourselves. But we can’t give in to the cruelty. Because even if we haven’t been targeted yet, our time will come. If not ourselves, someone we know and care about will be affected.

It will reach us personally in some way.

As the saying goes, we must be vigilant and hold the line against cruelty, because the alternative is truly unthinkable.

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