I remembered watching the news about the earthquake that took place in Puerto Rico a couple of days ago. The earthquake in Puerto Rico has been going on intermittently since last year, making the residents terrified and traumatized, fearing for the worst. In the news, I learned that many families had moved, all seeking for better living conditions. While many people are praying and helping each other out, I can’t help but notice a comment made towards the migration population, saying “since you don’t have people dying now, there is not the same sense of urgency.” As I questioned in The Basic Political Writings, “What are the generosity, mercy, and humanity, if not pity applied to the weak, to the guilty, or to the human species in general (pg 62)?” Although immigration might not be so simple, it’s merciless and inhumane to make comments rejecting people in need simply because their condition isn’t lethal at the moment. I would strongly suggest people do unto others as you would have them do unto you (pg 64), since it might be useful to you one day.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/us/puerto-rico-earthquakes-new-york-family/index.html
This is a very good usage of the concepts from the book. So many people nowadays are concerned with themselves and their individual outcomes that most have lost the ability to look outwards and see the world around them. I encounter people in my daily life who don’t possess the ability of empathy and are haunted by selfishness. I believe that everybody should do their part in our society to protect and enforce the natural rights that Locke talked about in his writings and we need to support each other in protecting our right to live. This starts on an individual level and with enough support, I believe that we can induce a ripple through society.
I definitely agree with what you are saying. I feel this ties into what the professor was digging at during lecture a couple weeks back. We have progressed as a society in terms of wealth and health, but in turn, have we progressed morally? In some aspects, we have progressed, but as you have pointed out, people still are ruthless.