I dislike and distrust RUTHLESSNESS, CRUELTY TO THE YOUNG OR WEAK, COLDNESS to our neighbors and loved ones, INDIFFERENCE to the old, sick or poor, HARD-HEARTEDNESS and INSENSITIVITY.

Give me a person who is of a softer heart and open ear. Nil am fear crua gan croí báúil nó cluaise (not the hard man without a sympathetic heart or ear).

What is sympathy? It is an emotional participation in the feelings of others and let us not forget there is a pleasure to be found and a appeal as a result of those feelings.

Compassion is the opposite of cruelty which rejoices in the suffering and humiliation of others and egoism which is indifferent to the suffering and humiliation of others. Hasta los pobres tiene derecho al honor y dignidad as the Spanish say; even the poor have the right to honor and dignity.

I believe men and women who do not know mercy miss much of the joy and happiness to be found in life.

There is sadness in pity -commiseration- but there is happiness mingled together with compassion whose example generates generosity and love from others.

Sadness devoid of hatred for anything but injustice and unhappiness and suffering is a good thing, a humane thing.

RICHARD K. MUNRO