14 Comments
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Scott M. Krasner's avatar

That so many who support Trump actually exhibit signs of humanity still baffles me. Something similar happened when I got my cancer diagnosis and many people who stepped up immediately also were staunch Trump supporters. On a separate but related note I saw a 17 or 18 year old girl wearing a Trump hat on the driving range recently. Took the wind right out of my sails.

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Barry Friedman's avatar

It's funny. I'm not surprised by the one-on-one sympathy, but by the notion that unless the pain is close by, the sympathy is tougher to come by. This is in no way just a problem among Trump supporters. We all worry more when the prostate or uterus of someone we know gets cancer. Then we're ALL for increased cancer research.

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Paul Cari's avatar

Ironically, I just got off the phone with my older brother who told me he has prostate cancer. Caught early and slow growing, having surgery end of August. The Big C seems to really love my family. His doctors are confident he'll make a complete recovery with no issues. I of course mentioned my friend in Tulsa with the tennis ball-sized prostate. He was suitably impressed.

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Betsy's avatar

It's things like this that let me know you are a really great writer.

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Barry Friedman's avatar

I should really argue with you about the last point, but I'm touched by this. Thanks

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Kent Anderson's avatar

That boy has a form of Cerebral Palsy, like me. Glad you re-ran this.

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June Butler's avatar

Lovely.

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Mike Phillips's avatar

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

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Barry Friedman's avatar

June, thank you for this. It's wonderful seeing your name, hearing your voice, even when you don't know that you called.

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Peter Richmond's avatar

Lovely, thankyou.

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Barry Friedman's avatar

Thank you, Peter. It means much coming from you.

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Jack Mahoney's avatar

There is no mystery here. I've said it before: Our perennial opponents have a ton of empathy for people within a small circle, including their family, their church, sometimes their neighbors. Outside that circle, they appear confused at the idea that empathy could possibly be appropriate because outside that circle are the villains they blame for all that ails society, the poor people who crash stock markets and the Latin American immigrants who snap up all those middle-management jobs and hog the barbecue at company picnics. So, I can be touched and repulsed simultaneously, as I imagine can you.

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Barry Friedman's avatar

It's that small circle where the sympathy occurs that's do maddening, as if there's a litmus test before it's offered.

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Jenny Hawkins's avatar

You went above & beyond on your essay. Very tender, it touched my heart.

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