Could You Pass the Humanity Test?

We are in the midst of really ugly news: a terrorist loaded up with automatic weapons and shot people enjoying an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. US Donald Trump is scaring the world with his Twitter feed. Wealthy movie maker has been using his position, his power to coerce and even force his unwanted advances on Women. The story has prompted more Women to take a stand an expose others who have used their position in ugly selfish ways.

Many Women are now sharing their experiences of having dealt with the ugly side of men. The latest is Senator Al Franken.  I feel bad for Al. He was one Senator that I actually thought was a good person. Turns out he is just as bad as many of the men out there.

With all of the ugly out there I wonder how much of us would pass the humanity test. The humanity is more than  the attitudes or the actions we have done to women and to kids. Kevin Spacey and company are now facing their own tests for their actions. The humanity test is a look at how we are in many situations. How we react and how we think.

We have seen many people who pass the humanity test in big ways. In ways we could never understand. The mass shooting in Las Vegas brought out the humanity in many individuals. There were people in the midst of the chaos, the dying and the ugly, who took to helping others in a time of horror. You would think the first taught would be for your own safety and not thinking of saving others. What a humanity test to be faced with. These people passed the test.

The humanity test is not always so dramatic or in such dire situations. Sometimes the humanity test is simple as meeting someone on the street. A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to a small concert. Most of the patrons were old people, like us (and older) and many were White. Outside in the cold a young man was standing with a sign looking for change. We had no money and told him sorry. As we were in line inside the hall a group of older White folk were talking. This older Woman was upset at the man. She said "I asked him what he needed the money for?" She went on this conversation with other women and men in their group. Each of them were making disparaging remarks about the young man. My wife was upset and said to me "I hope he told them to shove their change" in a voice loud enough for the group to hear. I don't think they passed the humanity test in this case.

A friend of mine was telling the story of this Artist. The Artist was painting a mural in Winnipeg and the subject matter was images of a number of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. While the Artist, a White man, was painting a young guy on a bike stopped and asked him about the mural. The Artist told him about the subject matter. The young man replied "well they were whores anyway" and rode off. The Artist was stunned. He met an individual who had not passed the humanity test.

The humanity test is a daily occurrence. It can be something that happens everyday like the letting someone into your lane when there is a stream of car line up or it could be the saying "Thank you" for the person who holds open the mall door for you.  It is the comment we post when we see someone complaining about the amount of assistance Refugees are said to receive from government. Can you remember the latest humanity test you had, however small or huge?

I guess it's like what is your moral compass really like; the things you would do in certain situations.