Subscribe via RSS
Compassion Begets Compassion
Posted by Wallace+
This time of year, children are on our minds, naturally. A New York Times article, relating to children, is both sobering and hopeful, that is, it tells the story of "The Child Who Put a Face on Abuse," the story of Mary Ellen McCormack. It is hopeful in the sense that it tells the story of an awakening of compassion and the resultant national movement to protect children. One fascinating element of the story is that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) played a critical role. It brings to mind something that Thomas Aquinas said, that one sure measure of the morality of a society is how that culture treats animals. That the work of the SPCA would help lead to the establishment of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the first American organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, simply makes sense, as surprising as it might be. Morality is of a piece, compassion is of a piece. And compassion begets compassion.
Tags: This post has not been tagged.
