Detroit effort puts priority on ending homelessness...

[Dan Wesson]

Compassion is something I'm always having to work at. I'm a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps kinda guy".

I have seen too many that had a hand in their own unpleasant circumstances.

I used to be more liberal about the plight of strangers. Now it's all about the health, safety and welfare of my wife, son, daughter and their family’s.

Also a noble cause indeed.

[emu steve]

Compassion is something I'm always having to work at. I'm a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps kinda guy".

I have seen too many that had a hand in their own unpleasant circumstances.

I used to be more liberal about the plight of strangers. Now it's all about the health, safety and welfare of my wife, son, daughter and their family’s.

Also a noble cause indeed.

I'm going to embellish my post with some current thoughts, largely based on Pope Francis and the thoughts of a local Catholic Priest.

Everyone talks about mercy, but mercy is really seeking 'reduced punishment for transgressions' be it a child at home, a speeder apprehended by a policeman, a felon facing a judge, etc.

The better word is 'compassion' which includes care, concern, empathy, etc. for another person or group of persons, e.g., the homeless, those suffering with illness, the quake victims in Nepal, etc.

One of my life changing experiences was a visit, with a group, to what was really an orphanage. We all 'were assigned' children [[orphans). Mine was an almost two year old in a stroller; she could not walk and join the other children [[at play at the Chuckie Cheeze.) I asked the nun, why? "We think she has cerebral palsy." An orphan with CP and yes, the child had zero culpability for her condition. I couldn't even blame her as I might an alcoholic...

I don't think I was ever the same... [[this happened almost 30 years ago). On an 'empathy' moment scale, it was a life long lasting '10'.