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Kindness and Generosity versus Hatred and Bigotry: Why Does the Latter Cancel the Former? [1]

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Date: 2025-06-26

I have been rewatching the entire West Wing television series ( I have the series on DVDs). One particular episode hit me hard emotionally. The Toby Ziegler character is contacted to appear at a park where a homeless veteran is lying dead on a bench having frozen to death in a particularly frigid night in Washington, D.C. The man was wearing a coat that Toby had given to Good Will and it had his business card in the pocket. That card was why he had been contacted even though he never met the homeless man. Toby couldn’t erase the thought that this veteran was going to be buried without recognition, treated as just another unfortunate casualty of a war long since over. In short, Toby arranged a military funeral for the man whose brother was also homeless and a bit mentally confused. Toby was not supposed to arrange such a funeral, but he was given a dispensation by President Bartlett this one time. As I watched the funeral depicted with a tiny group of a half dozen attendees in addition to six soldiers firing rifles in an official salute, the kindness and generosity of the Toby character to make such an effort to make this event occur brought me to tears. I found myself just weeping throughout the scene so moved was I by someone caring for a stranger. Repeatedly, I see videos posted on social media showing individuals acting with kindness and generosity. Hundreds of viewers post messages of love and encouragement. I read a story about the actor Paul Newman who insisted on having various perks added to his movie contracts. Then when he showed up on the first day of shooting a film, he instructed the filmmakers to take the money that would have been spent providing these perks such as a chef, special food, a decked out trailer, etc. and donate the entire amount of money anonymously to a children’s hospital in the area. My little contribution to offering kindness and generosity to others is to carry in my wallet a couple of $100 bills. When I am in a restaurant and the waitperson is especially friendly or harried or stressed or upset, I pay a 30% tip on the bill by credit card and then I leave a single $100 bill as I leave the restaurant. I desire no recognition. In one instance, a young man who had served our group in a pub came running out into the parking lot as we were all leaving and held out the $100 bill thinking that I had accidentally dropped it on the table. I was enormously impressed by his integrity and assured him that the money was meant for him. I just picture that my small act maybe has brightened that person’s day, and I tell this story to suggest that perhaps others might want to follow suit to help others in a similar fashion. I am not a wealthy person, but I am financially comfortable. Giving to charities is wonderful and I encourage it as well, but even small acts of kindness and generosity can be so heartwarming for the giver and often profound for the receiver. In these times of moral upheaval, we crave our better angels.

I tell these stories because while I fight fiercely against the rise of authoritarianism and oligarchy in our country, I continue to be stunned by the hatred and bigotry, the pervasive ugliness that has invaded the marrow of our body politic. Trump, Steven Miller, and a host of nasty White supremacists spew their hate like a spreading virus infecting an increasing number of Americans. What “greatness” can this iniquity serve? Are we not all moved by simple acts of kindness both witnessed and experienced personally? How is it that cruelty and degradation of those less fortunate can invite rally goers applause? I will continue to fight the good fight to counter hatred and bigotry emanating from Trump and his disciples because thwarting bullies is our sacred duty, but I ask that every American reflect on the simple acts of kindness and generosity that truly make our country GREAT.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/26/2330300/-Kindness-and-Generosity-versus-Hatred-and-Bigotry-Why-Does-the-Latter-Cancel-the-Former?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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