October 2, 2002

Us Versus Them

A BuzzFlash Reader Commentary
by Robert E. Griffin, Psychologist

Dear BuzzFlash,

The recent story of a child in Pennsylvania who was starved and beaten horrified and outraged many people across our country. It is healthy that we feel disturbed that any child should experience this.

It is useful to compare our reactions to another situation. Due to the sanctions in Iraq, 5,000 children die every month due to starvation or disease. It is estimated that 500,000 Iraqi children have died because of the sanctions in the last ten years.

Yet, in our current dominant social consciousness most people do not have the same reaction for the children in Iraq as we do for the child in Hazelton. We have compassion for innocent vicitims of "enemy attacks" on "Us," but most do not feel much empathy for innocent victims in other countries.

This too, of course, works both ways. Many of those supporting the terrorists who attacked our country on 9-11 felt little or no empathy toward American civilian casualties.

Human nature is dangerous when we catagorize people as either "Us/Them." We dehumanize "them." This catagorization allows people who normally are caring and compassionate, to support the killing of innocent people, either directly or through passive acceptance.

The survival of our species is currently threatened by this aspect of our human nature. We live now in a world where weaponized smallpox can kill hundreds of millions of human beings. Those who might use such weapons may be impaired in empathy towards victims catagorized as "them."

In a world where weapons of mass destruction threaten all of humankind, we can no longer afford to see any people as "them." We need to work towards making the world safe and prosperous for all people on earth. The world needs to be safe for all of "Us." Otherwise, there may not be many of "Us" around soon.

Robert E. Griffin
Psychologist
Forty Fort Pa.

* * *