Remember that story? A preacher tells his congregation something like, "Millions are dying and you don't give a shit -- and most of you are more shocked about my saying "shit" than you are about the millions dying.
As Joseph Stalin noted, "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic."
Both the preacher and Stalin recognized something that researchers like W.D. Hamilton, et al, have found to be inherent in our nature. Such studies have shown that the level of altruism a person can feel for others is indirectly proportional to both the numbers involved and kin recognition. Basically, we can only experience compassion for (or be shocked by) an event if we can personalize it. However, we don't have to grieve for millions in order to send a dollar -- or cast a vote -- to help them. We just have to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Granddad
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