Columns
DASSER | Neutrality: The Armor of Apathy and the Enemy of Empathy
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The rise in public consciousness of the Israel-Palestine conflict has taught me that sharing thoughts — any thoughts — on this topic inevitably produces disruption. In that light, one might argue that many students are afraid of making waves; I think the truth is more unsettling: many just don’t care. This apathy, particularly towards the suffering of marginalized groups (in this case Palestinians), is deeply troubling. To some extent, the willingness to dehumanize such communities is worsened by the graphic imagery flooding social media, which effectively desensitizes us to the real life human suffering. But this indifference isn’t just a product of modern media; it’s rooted in how we are taught to view the world from a young age.