You all declared your limited empathy conservatism on my first visit.

Empathy mitigates public risks and threats. . .

Note

Please remember this Substack is where Empathy Surplus Network USA Zoom forum members can post how they apply cognitive science from George Lakoff to their moral and political discourse. It’s a place for members to demonstrate how they apply the S.H.O.E.S. principle in cultivating empathy. S-Show up with empathy. H-Offer to help with empathy. O-Organize around empathy. E-Educate about empathy. S-Start over each day.

A short open letter follows (like the one I sent) to my Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio Trustees. We delivered an update report to our Humanitarian Empathy for Ukraine and Ohio Fundraiser that we had delivered to the Wilmington City Council. We are encouraging the Trustees to promote the fundraiser by affixing a Ukrainian flag fundraising sticker to their office door.

This photo is by Cole Keister on Unsplash. It depicts the smoky air from Canadian wildfires that much of the United States is experiencing. Particulate matter of 35 is twice the level recommended by WHO and is what the air in Wilmington, Ohio, is at this posting.

Dear Union Township Trustees,

Hopeful Friday. Pro-empathy voters in and out of office strengthen democracy, nurturing families, ethical businesses, and a chance at climate survival¹. Empathy mitigates public risks and threats when voters in and out of office are committed to mutual civic tasks that advance the politics of care. 

Empathy encourages community cooperation in service to protecting and empowering others nearby and far away. Empathy for one another, a foundational human rights value, is a trust that caring citizens protect and promote together. When we’re effective, people can lead fulfilling lives and be assured they’re treated fairly. 

I appreciate all your hard work that benefits the public, making yourself available day or night to keep our roads safe. I also appreciate the good humor and courtesy you extend me when I’m there. Nevertheless, you educate me every time I visit that I can trust that empathy is not your core moral why behind your governance. You’ve made it clear that your empathy doesn’t extend to the people I seek to help, which saddens me. I hope you’ll reconsider promoting the Humanitarian Empathy for Ukraine and Ohio Fundraiser.

You all declared your limited empathy conservatism on my first visit. And during my last visit, you suggested that you respect human rights but somehow can’t promote them for Union Township or Ukraine. And you showed no concern about the Proud Boy's intimidation of Edward Jones employees or the need to declare a climate survival emergency that I shared with you in my last letter.

This year is the UDHR’s 75th anniversary. Isn’t protecting freedom and human rights the strategic reasons we all need to cultivate more empathy in Union Township? Consider creating a recurring donation at https://proempathy.us/ukraine or help us promote Humanitarian Empathy for Ukraine and Ohio Fundraiser by displaying the Ukrainian flag sticker.

Thanks again for your public service.

Best regards,

Chuck Watts

1. The following Declare Human Rights Climate Emergency message was on the back cover of a copy of the Illustrated Universal Declaration of Human Rights that we gave each trustee: “99% of climate scientists agree that our climate crisis is a threat multiplier to the human right to a clean and healthy environment. They agree that humans are heating our planet with a carbon pollution blanket that threatens our human rights to health, safety, and property. This carbon pollution blanket melts Artic Ice, raises sea levels, floods homes, causes droughts, and strengthens killer storms. The carbon pollution blanket traps heat equivalent to exploding 500,000 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs daily!

The pandemic has taught us that we must strengthen our care for each other, listen to our scientists, and strengthen public health and safety infrastructure. We can create a caring, circular economy that eliminates carbon pollution from fossil fuel use to protect our health, homes, and families. Scientists warn that inaction is deadly. We must act not to create a caring, circular economy and make polluters pay to remove the carbon pollution blanket.

Switching to clean, eternal energy saves money and produces clean jobs - forever. Caring citizens want clean cars and transit-for-all that don’t cause asthma and stronger storms. We want to heat our homes and not our planet and to save money doing it.