Listen Up, World: Is it Kind?

The Litmus Test for our Kids, Our Leaders and Ourselves

In the measure of words, kindness is up there but doesn’t top the pops. Yet “Is it Kind?” is a powerful question for us to use to help us understand ourselves, our actions and our world. I write this as someone who fails often in the Kindness challenge.

Some of us as children were challenged by parents and teachers with that question. Then we asked our children and even grandchildren the same question. It’s simple. Not profound. Being kind is a great characteristic to have but it’s not the same as sacrificing your life for the sake of others.

We have just learned that the United Nations investigation has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and is still doing continuing with it. This is a war crime and normally it would be expected a country would be called to account for their actions.

Now, whether you or I agree with that declaration is in a sense, aside from the point, as putting aside our differences perhaps we can consider a question that hopefully we can all see value in.

So to the Question:

Is it kind that Hamas invaded Israel on October 7 2023 killing between 1200 to 1139 civilians and military personnel, taking 251 innocent hostages, and putting 1456 wounded Israelis in hospital for treatment for at least one day? Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind that Israel responded with a major offensive utilising their impressive weaponry funded by the USA and other countries including Australia that has resulted in complete devastation over nearly 2 years of Gaza and its people. Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind that Israel has bombed hospitals, schools, kindergartens and homes, destroying infrastructure entirely and resulting in deaths estimated between 17,954 and 18,592 Palestinian children. Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind that an estimated 39,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, with 17,000 having lost both parents. Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind that Israel may dispute these figures but hasn’t allowed Western media in to verify or defend their actions, let alone AID organisations to provide care. Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind that according to UN / Gaza / OCHA reports, at least 343 to 409 aid workers (including 291 UN staff) have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. (OCHA, BMJ) Is that kind? I don’t think so.

Is it kind? As a comparison with aid workers over many years (24 years of conflict) in Syria where more than 580 aid workers have been registered as killed but the conflict in Gaza in less than two years is far higher per years. Is that kind? I don’t think so.

There are many areas of that conflict where the question could be asked, but this article would be far too long to read.

The same simple test though can be applied to many areas of the world. It can be asked many times of the USA’s current administration and its treatment of immigrants, refugees and its own people. It can be asked of politicians and their rhetoric and sadly, sometimes of people who represent as religious leaders. Is it kind? I don’t think so.

It should also be asked of Russia in its Ukraine war. It can also be asked about Australia’s treatment of First Nations people over many years too. It can be asked of the Neo Nazis who are protesting in our country and others wanting to bring back the control of a previous deadly era.

It is a very simple litmus test. We should apply it more often.

What about the environment:

Is it kind that whilst we have known about the dangers to the planet and our people with Climate Change for many decades that some politicians still kowtow to mega mining and business leaders to deny the implications today. When the planet is in danger “Is that kind?” I don’t think so.

In fact we should apply the same test to many areas of life including how we treat the least in our communities – least not because of importance but because of circumstances of life beyond them.

To conclude, I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of kind and empathic words from the most powerful to the least. Agree with it or not, this is the list it provided in the order from the first which it declared the most powerful (Love) to the number 20 (Care):

Love, Compassion, Kindness, Empathy, Forgiveness, Peace Understanding, Hope, Gratitude, Healing, Generosity, Acceptance, Respect, Trust, Comfort, Patience, Gentleness, Tolerance,
Friendship, Care.

I don’t know about you but with the evolution of humankind covering millenia I really think it would be so much better if we could concentrate our lives and how we treat each other with these great words rather than some others.

But then I’m biased. For some years now I’ve been crazy enough to focus any spare spare energy I have on building a global kindness movement led by children. The website (https://zorzle.org/contact/) still needs work but I’d love to hear from you if you see value in that cause and would like to be involved.

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