MIAD BRIDGENOVEMBER 2011

Painting Murals

HoPe & rescue

every seParation is a link

bringing

to theHope

Community

features

departments

NOVEMBER CalENdaR

PaiNtiNg MuRals

BaNk BuildERs

HOPE & REsCuE

EVERy sEPaRatiON is a liNk

Enjoy your family this November with free events and trips all around the Milwaukee area.

Nate Pyper helps create thought-provoking mural.

Find out how to save money with these helpful tips.

The flooding of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Isabel Kent discusses her analysis on empathy.

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Written & Revised by Izamar Virafuentes

Growing up in a low-income family has influenced my lifestyle and way of thinking. I learned to appreciate what I have, and to never complain about things that I don’t possess. Most of my relatives struggled over the years for food and shelter. I noticed it was difficult for them to get the help. Both my mom and dad always managed to lend a hand when financial problems came up in the family. By realizing the problem and taking action, I understood how reaching out makes a difference in one’s life. The generos-ity of oneself creates hope for another.

The theme surrounding this magazine is empathy and service. Helping one another and making the community a better place for next generations are essential parts of life. Throughout the MIAD BRIDGE, there are depart-ments exercising the concept of generosity, hope, and healthy environments. This magazine is also meant to educate parents on the local organizations, and to help spread the word. Which is why the MIAD BRIDGE is completely free and easily accessible to families.

4| MIAD BRIDGE November Events

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SUNDAY MONDAY

FallSeasoninto the

Milwaukee Public MuseumMitchell Park Domes

Milwaukee Public MuseumMitchell Park Domes

Milwaukee Public MuseumMitchell Park Domes

Milwaukee Public MuseumMitchell Park Domes

In November’s edition, we concentrate with

Milwaukee’s educational and creative events.

They are positive and healthy environments

for all families. All of the events listed in

here are completely free. Have fun!

Veteran’s Day Parade

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee County Zoo

MilwaukEE PuBliC MusEuM

MitCHEll PaRk dOMEs

lady Elks CRaft & VENdOR fall faiR

MilwaukEE HOliday PaRadE

mam.org

It’ll be held in Downtown at 11am 414.273.5533

Remember to bring your ID414.256.5412

Call toll free at 888-700-9069

Free from 9am to noon.

5555 W Good Hope Rd from 9am to 3pm.

It’ll be held in downtown at 9:30am.

* Travel Wisconsin. N.p., 2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2011.

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Milwaukeewith

Milwaukee Art Museum Veteran’s Day ParadeMilwaukee County Zoo

Milwaukee County Zoo

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Lady Elks Craft & Vendor Fall Fair

Milwaukee Holiday Parade

PaintingMurals

Written by Nate Pyper / Revised by Izamar Virafuentes

Hope House is known primarily for its transitional

living facilities, it also provides tutoring services for the

children who live in the provided housing, as well as

those living in the neighboring area. College student

Nate Pyper, served in the Shining Stars Youth Program

where he provided academic aid for the youth. His

job involved reading assignments, and covering basic

subjects like math, science, and spelling. Over the

summer, students and volunteers like Nate Pyper,

created positive and thought-provoking murals.

8| MIAD BRIDGE Painting Murals

HOPE HOUSE

S. 1st St.

S. 3rd St.

S. 2nd St.

W. Orchard St.

W. Greenfield Ave.

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a: I want to assist others in providing platforms for creativ-ity, expression, opinions, and progress. I’m still working with the film festival I started a few years ago with a couple of friends that supports the arts and donates funds to our local homeless shelter in my hometown. A lot of people just need a venue to be able to speak their minds – once one is provided, people are enabled to do things that they might have not thought themselves able to do before. I want to facilitate this. I’m willing to be misunderstood, misrepresented, and mistreated if it means that others are empowered and healthy communities are nurtured. I con-sider the well-being of the community as a whole more important than my own comfort. I realize that this all might seem vague or silly or naive, but I truly believe these things and am actively dictating the small choices I make everyday to follow in accordance with my beliefs.

Q: wHat tyPEs Of sERViCEs dOEs HOPE HOusE PROVidE?

Q: aRE yOu williNg tO iNitiatE sOMEtHiNg NEw iN tHE wORld? wHat wOuld yOu CREatE witH OtHERs?

a: Hope House Milwaukee, as an organization, is a “tran-sitional living facility” and “community center.” Their primary service is to provide temporary housing for strug-gling families who need a place to stay while they get back on their feet. Those who occupy the provided housing maintain a weekly chore and rotate cooking duty between each other, as well as attend weekly “life skills classes which cover topics such as parenting, basic budget management, and stress management.” They also offer the “Thresholds Program” which provides emergency shelter for local homeless men. They are allowed to live at Hope House for up to 60 days and work with a case manager to find permanent employment and housing. The Angel of Hope Clinic is Hope House’s health care service offering medical treatment for adults and children who qualify as having low or no income. I served in the tutoring center (under the Shining Stars Youth Program) where I provided aca-demic aid for students ranging between elementary and middle school. Hope House also recognizes the impor-tance of giving back to the community it resides in, so it also works to host and facilitate neighborhood events, forums, clean-ups, and seminars. Their mission statement is simple, and succinct: “To end homelessness and create healthy communities.” Hope House is having an amaz-ingly positive effect on our Milwaukee community and is succeeding as an organization.

What is Hope House? Check this out!

Hope House goal is to end homelessness and create healthy communities.

For more information visit hopehousemke.org

209 W. Orchard St. Milwaukee, WI 53204

Also, feel free to call them at 414.645.2122

a: It has definitely reinforced my belief in the importance of voluntary service in the vitality and health of a com-munity. There are people in need all over our city, and organizations like Hope House are working to provide for those needs; by providing volunteer opportunities, they are allowing for others to have a hand in the improvement of their own neighborhood, city, country, and world. Support is the essence of a strong community.

a: One thing that’s been challenging to hear is the chil-dren speak about their distressed conditions. They don’t speak about it openly often, but every once in awhile, something will slip out that points to the acknowledgement of their unfortunate circumstances. One moment I can remember specifically was when we were painting the mural. The children were tasked with painting things that indicated “here” (reality) on one and “there” (hopes/fantasy) on the other. Some children painted a dog on the “here” while drawing a dragon on the “there” or a road on the “here” and a red carpet on the “there.”

I remember one child in particular who knew he wanted to paint a limo on the “there” panel but was unsure of what to draw on the “here” panel as a companion. After some discussion with the other students, they decided that a city bus was the best decision. They indicated that the city bus was for poor people and those who couldn’t afford a car. This struck me as shocking and sort of served as a wake-up call, because I’ve always blissfully and intention-ally taken the bus as an alternative to driving, a decision born out of my own environmental responsibility rather than necessity. However, it didn’t really occur to me until that day the bus was also a symbol of poverty for those who had no choice but to use the bus as transit. This forced me to be more aware of my surroundings and con-sider the way in which others interact within a given space.

Q: HOw Has yOuR ExPERiENCE Of sERViCE affECtEd yOuR OutlOOk ON tHE COMMuNity?

Q: was tHERE EVER a CHallENgiNg MOMENt iN tHE tiME yOu VOluNtEEREd fOR sHiNiNg staRs yOutH PROgRaM?

I’m willing to be misunderstood and misrepresented, if it means that others are empowered, and healthy communities are nurtured.

Hope House Milwaukee. Web. // “Success Stories: Xavier Ruffin.” MIAD.edu. Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Web.

10| MIAD BRIDGE Bank Builders

BankBuildersWritten & Revised by Izamar Virafuentes

Finance control can be tedious and can also be

hard to manage. Which is why we have 5 easy tips

to help alleviate this problem. Following this advise

will bring you a step closer to a stress-free life.

NOVEMBER 2011 |11

$$

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$$$ $

Make a list before shopping

Take public transportation

Save your pennies

HOME-COOkEd MEals

BOttlE yOuR OwN watER

With gas prices at an all time high, riding the bus is cheaper and better for the environment

Say goodbye to spontaneous buys by writing down the necessities only. Stay within your budget and stick with it.

Pocket change may not seem like a lot, but after a month’s worth of collecting, it adds up to be big bucks!

Time away from fast food joints and restaurants can be helpful to both your health and wallet.

Water can be expensive at stores. Filtering your own water saves money and saves the earth.

The ofof

flooding

and

HopeRescue

Written by Shannon Wunderlich / Revised by Izamar Virafuentes

The natural disaster managed to leave Cedar Rapids,

Iowa in ruins. However, the faith and determination

of the residents in Iowa go unharmed. Drowned

in debt, the state was unable to provide necessities

such as clean water an shelter for those affected by

the flood. This compelling article shows the hope

and generosity that rescued this city and its people.

of

Cedar Rapids

14| MIAD BRIDGE Hope & Rescue

Outside of Midwesterners, it’s safe to say that most Ameri-cans overlook rural farmland states like Iowa. There are no professional sports teams with show-stopping athletes, no noteworthy theme parks or major entertainment stadi-ums, national landmarks or beaches. Iowa’s largest city, the capital city of Des Moines, falls from its local number one spot to 106th on the list of most populous U.S. cities, by which time the state of California has already weighed in 17 times. But while Iowa may be lacking in superstar-dom, they hold their own in the drama department, laying claim to an especially devastating history of record-break-ing floods. From May through August of 1851, the United States Midwest experience record-setting rainfalls. Of all the states affected by the consequential flooding, Iowa suf-fered the most. The degree of devastation was most likely exacerbated by the newness of the state’s major settle-ments, which had only been established for less than ten years at the time. Inexperienced new residents weren’t prepared for a major flood and river towns lacked the necessary levees and substantial bridges capable of with-standing significant flooding.

Crops were destroyed, roads rendered impassable, houses and fences reduced to rubble and strewn across the farm-lands, rendering the entire work of the season unsalvage-able. Des Moines suffered a decrease in population, which some directly blamed on the flood. Over the next century, Iowa bounced back from the obliteration of their first set-tlements. The introduction of railroads in the 1850s and 60s transformed Iowa into a major agricultural production center. The economy continued to grow and change as the U.S. industrialized, giving way to the rise of a significant increase in manufacturing, which brought about a corre-spondingly significant increase in monetary gain. Soon major companies, including but not limited to General Mills, Heinz, Quaker Oats, Wonder Bread/Hostess, John Deere, and the Maytag Corporation, erected advanced processing and production facilities throughout the state. Just as the state seemed to be settling into a routine, disas-ter struck again. The Great Flood of 1993 is still one of the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the U.S, warranting over $15 billion in damages. An unusually rainy fall season and heavy winter snowfall combined with the faulty system of levees put in place after the 1851 flood

was disastrous for not only the state of Iowa, but multiple others surrounding the Mississippi River and it’s respective tributaries. Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illi-nois, and the Dakotas all suffered catastrophic repercus-sions resulting in destruction, displacement, and disarray. While 1993’s Great Flood was greater in continental terms, on a more localized scale specific to the state, Iowa hadn’t seen anything yet.

The Iowa Flood of 2008 is the latest and greatest in the state’s unfortunate history of hydrological happenings and has often been referred to as “Iowa’s Katrina.” The flood-ing of two of Iowa’s top five largest cities, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, were particularly devastating. Of these two, the recovery for Cedar Rapids has proved a considerably more drawn out and costly ordeal. Where Iowa City was adequately anticipatory of potential damages, Cedar Rapids was unfortunate in their underestimation of the forces of nature. Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in the state of Iowa and the county seat of Linn County. The city spans both banks of the Cedar River, making it entirely susceptible to the dangers of fluctuating water levels. City hall, the Linn County Courthouse, and the county jail–government run buildings of significant func-tion–were all located on Mays Island, a small plateau in the middle of the Cedar River, before the 2008 floods rendered them unfit for occupation. In the history of natural disasters, Cedar Rapids is the only U.S. city to lose their City Hall, County Jail, Municipal Court Facilities, Central Fire Department, Central Library, and Police Headquarters all at once. Based on damage to public fa-cilities, this was the 5th largest state disaster in U.S. history.

With the somewhat precarious locations of important gov-ernmental structures, Cedar Rapids seemed to be living on the edge, toeing the thin line between success and demise. As with any developing city, waterfront access was beneficial in more ways than one. The Cedar River, a tributary to the great Mississippi River, served as both a mode of transportation and an integral avenue of com-merce in addition to functioning simply as an aesthetic bonus to the surrounding community. As positive as the river was for the growth of Cedar Rapids, the 2008 Flood came to prove that it wouldn’t take much to cross that dangerous line. Iowa State University meteorologist Elwynn Taylor claimed that the warm wet air of the 2007-2008 winter season, the type of air that produces signifi-cant snowfall, was directly correlated with the excessive wetness of the spring of 2008. He continued to explain:

“In an effort to combat such a multitude of threats to public health, the major hospitals and clinics worked together to provide over 9,000 free tetanus shots.”

NOVEMBER 2011 |15

Fog in the winter is normally the result of a strong flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, which normally does not occur in the winter. Usually that occurs in March and April. It’s caused by either low pressure over New Mexico or high pressure over Bermuda. Both are common in the summer. Both are rare in the winter. More than 80 percent of moisture that falls in the Midwest is from the Gulf of Mexico, and the primary cause of it coming here is the Bermuda high pressure. The pressure arrived very early and much stronger than usual by April and May 2008.

All it took was one uncharacteristic winter season to bring about $5.74 billion in damages. At the peak of the flood, water levels crested at 31.11 ft, approximately 19 ft above flood stage. And the timing couldn’t have been worse. Such a wide-reaching natural disaster coupled with the country’s simultaneous economic recession left the city of Cedar Rapids with inadequate relief funds. The universal community message put together by a team of local mar-keting, communication and media professionals states that “Cedar Rapids has suffered a disaster in the billions and only received funding in the millions.” Even now, almost three years after the fact, Cedar Rapids has yet to get back on it’s feet. After the initial flooding, the city was faced with a myriad of health concerns, the most pressing of which being the compromise of their domestic water supply. The Cedar Rapids water treatment facility had been knocked out of service, which resulted in close to 25 million gallons of raw sewage being dumped into the river on a daily basis. All but one of the city’s wells had been overtaken by floodwaters, waters contaminated with the aforementioned sewage as well as leaked petroleum prod-ucts and a variety of other toxic materials that had been swept up and spread around over the course of the month that affected areas were submerged. Only through a vigor-ous sandbagging effort perpetuated by members of the community had the city managed to maintain control over their sole source of clean water. Water Pollution Control would not recover for another 12 weeks.

In addition to the increased tension of a now limited water supply, there was an obvious spike in the homeless popula-tion as nearly 20,000 citizens were displaced from their homes. Only a select few could be accommodated by the limited supply of FEMA trailers. Without the necessary funding for adequate relief, many people spent the three weeks following the flood making temporary shelters among the wreckage. As the waters receded, tremendous amounts of potentially infectious debris surfaced, includ-ing tons of accumulated garbage and dead animal car-casses. The endlessness of the debris coupled with the heat and humidity of the summer provided an environment

dangerously conducive to the breeding of mold and bac-teria and the residual onset of disease. The amount of displaced waste was so great that over a year later there were still reports of trash and debris littering the streets. In order to accommodate it all, the city was forced to reopen a landfill they had previously closed, citing that otherwise the new one would be filled in “one fell swoop.”Refrigerators filled with rotting food and decom-posing animal carcasses were host to festering bacteria and soon enveloped the city in a noticeable stench of decay. Contact with polluted water gave way to skin rashes and in some cases dysentery. In an effort to combat such a

Iowa’s

16| MIAD BRIDGE Hope & Rescue

appealing to the nation. Websites went up with personal accounts and statistics in an effort to get as much of their story out as possible. As time has passed and word has gotten out, Cedar Rapids has made great strides toward the future. The revamping of service organizations, such as the local branch of Habitat for Humanity, has expedited relief efforts and seen significant results in reinstating housing communities throughout the region as well as providing resources for the repair and upkeep of homes and buildings that may have survived. The government still hasn’t met the projected $5.74 billion needed for com-plete recovery, but they’ve currently conceded $848 million, earning the Iowa Flood of 2008 the title of the 6th largest national disaster as declared by FEMA. The city appears to be stabilizing, which might actually hurt them more than help. Chuck Hammond of the local lip balm production company, Raining Rose, says: My biggest concern, candidly, is that DC has lost us, we’re off the face of the map because we’ve ‘recovered,’ and at the same time we’re not recovered. Because we were so strong in the early stages, I think there’s a presumption that it’s kinda behind us. But we’re just getting started.

There are still entire neighborhoods full of empty houses that have been condemned to demolition. City Hall, the Linn County Courthouse and the county jail buildings remain desolate on Mays Island, unable to be reoccupied. However, Cedar Rapids is a resilient city, one that remains optimistic of its future. With so many renovations and reconstructions, there have been a surplus of job openings that have greatly benefited the displaced working com-munity. The plans to secure “a vibrant and urban home-town” have been set into motion and all citizens are in

multitude of threats to public health, the major hospitals and clinics worked together to provide over nine thousand free tetanus shots. In addition to the physical afflictions brought about by such extreme conditions, many of those who were flooded out developed mental health issues. The loss of personal possessions, items of family history and the like, resulted in consequential depression for some people, which occasionally lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The flooding disaster was so extreme that the financial cost exceeded the ability of the state to adequately recover. Where the recession rendered the government unable to provide relief, the citizens of Iowa stepped up to the plate. Without jobs or homes to answer to, men, women, and children banned together and devoted themselves to the comforting and assistance of one another in any way that they possibly could. “While many people around the nation were fighting for individual economic relief, Cedar Rapids citizens voluntarily passed a sales tax increase that was expected to bring in millions of dollars a year,” mil-lions of dollars that would go toward closing the gap between what was needed and what had been provided to rebuild. Citizens even tapped into their personal funds with full knowledge that they would not be reimbursed. The Cedar Rapids City Council made promises to pur-chase approximately 1,300 damaged houses and business before they had the $175 million necessary for such an undertaking. In doing so, they pledged to help the thou-sands of struggling survivors make ends meet in the wake of unimaginable devastation. News crews put together media kits that aired on national television, desperately

Help the struggling

make endssurvivors

meet...

NOVEMBER 2011 |17

agreement–it’s time to move forward. But what does the future hold? Flood experts have spoken to the potential for future devastation akin to the Flood of 2008. Accord-ing to them, it’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” Apart from reconstructing the city’s urban land-scape, citizens and government officials alike have sounded off on the need to address the preventative measures defined by the “outdated Army Corps of Engineers model that says there is little to fear.” Unfortunately, the unity that saw Cedar Rapidians through the worst of it all has dissipated and politics have clouded the ability to agree upon a solid solution. Todd Dorman, a writer for the Cedar Rapids Gazette expresses his sentiments: I was here for the real disaster. The big one. I, like many of us, marvelled at the initial, selfless response by a united community. And I’ve seen an arduous recovery that’s shaken away our early resolve and sparked plenty of anger. Old divides widened. New ones cracked open. We’ve been exposed to the failures, limitations and lapses of democratically elected governments from City Hall to the White House. Our trust has been shaken and our institutions damaged in ways that most communities, luckily, never endure. It’s no wonder that so many people look upon nearly every decision with seething skepticism. I’m, too, but I’m also certain about one thing: Another massive flood will not make this better.

And so the fate of their city remains up in the air. Until they can reclaim the resolve instilled in them in the early throes of tragedy, the citizens of Cedar Rapids cannot know how secure their future is. In lieu of the endless bickering and stagnation in legislation, one can only hope that the city rallies to their own defense before the unthinkable happens. Again.

How you can help. Check this out!

According to the Iowa Recovery Times, “the Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) has been working with Iowa’s communities to promote planned events for the one-year commemoration of last summer’s storms, tornadoes and flooding.”

For more information visit rio.iowa.gov *

* “Iowa RecoveRy TImes.” Icgov.oRg. The RebuIld Iowa offIce, may 2009. web.

Works Cited: Corbett, Ron. “Flood of 2008 Facts and Statistics.” Cedar Rapids: City of Five Seasons. City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Web. // Dorman, Todd. “The Tantalizing Prospect of Moving On.” The Gazette. 24 April 2011. Web. // Willis, Cassie. Cedar Rapids Flood Story. City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Aug. 2009. Web. // “Cedar Rapids, IA Flood of 2008.” Associated Press. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. June 2008. Television. Transcript.

“Although this is a disaster of incredible magnitude, it is also an opportunity for us to build safer, stronger and smarter. [The Rebuild Iowa Coordinating] Council will be a very important vehicle to move the disaster recovery process forward and accomplish the goals of synchronization and coordination, while improving and changing the recovery process along the way.” *

–RIO Executive Director Lt. Gen. Ron Dardis

Cedar Rapids

Separation

Written by Isabel Kent / Illustrated by Maureen McGinn

To give, support, and to empathize, are all

wonderful acts of generosity. What triggers

us to act upon the kindness of our hearts?

According to this insightful analysis, there

is a scientific explanation for the actions

and feelings towards another person.

everyis aSeparation

Link

20| MIAD BRIDGE Every Separation is a Link

Step back and look at the world. It is such a strange thing, and incredible and beautiful, but rolling across that great sphere is also turmoil. Much of existence, perceived through the eyes of a human, is sorrow and violence, manifesting itself in multitudes of particular guises - war, poverty, famine, prejudice, crime, etc. But we are stuck here. So, for the sake of being here, of living, how do we make it better? How do we go about diminishing these problems? Where can we possibly start? Underlying most of them, when the complications and differences are for the moment, stripped away, is something simple. For what-ever reason, amidst the accumulated confusion of contem-porary human life, we fall into the denial or hatred of another human being.

We know that humans are at once imperfect and magnifi-cent. What is difficult is accepting the imperfect as inevi-table, and forgiving it in ourselves so that we can forgive it in others. There is so much sameness, if we decide to become aware of it. Our genetic code, which means our basic anatomical structure, which means our physiological functions, are fundamentally identical. We have the capac-ity to empathize with one another, and we need to use this.

What I am saying is obviously nothing new. But the act that it has survived thus far in the course of human civili-zation only serves to testify to its solidarity. It is simple, but I think it has profound implications. In all the world’s major religions, the basic tenet, the “Golden Rule,” is the same. We should “Do unto others what we would have done unto us.” Although this is drawn from religion and may seem idealistic, its tenets are at base, human, and extend to the nature of our experience in everyday life. For example, how can we expect others to have respect for our own views if we do not respect theirs? And how can we expect to get anything out of a conversation if we do not try to understand what the other person is trying to get across? A sense of empathy, as current research in neuroscience and psychology is finding, really does permeate our lives. Without having to will a conscious decision, we register the body language and facial expressions of those around us. We are able to base this in our own experience and realize the analogous intentions behind the behavior of others. So what happens when empathy ceases to function? On an individual scale, this

can be a major component of arguments and physical fights. Cases in point are bullying, whether at school or over the internet, domestic violence, and gang violence. Among larger groups this is exhibited in similar ways, largely as prejudice against, and mistreatment and/or sup-pression of, another people. Extreme cases are genocide and war. Can’t these be seen as large-scale manifestations of the inability to take another’s perspective? I don’t mean to oversimplify these grand issues. There are cer-tainly various other complications that come into play. Many of these complications, however, could be explained as themselves arising partially as a consequence of lack of understanding between people. Circumstances like these coalesce and build upon each other, eventually forming one mass conflict, which then leads to further atrocities. A clash occurs when we see an individual or group as other than ourselves, that we disagree with so fervently that it appears foreign enough to be designated as wrong or even evil. To protect ourselves we often feel the need to do something to suppress that other. If these notions push further into action, physical harm is done. The thoughts themselves however, are already silently germinating this view of the world. In turn, this obviously impacts the deeds one carries out. If one continues this way, the effects will only multiply.

But the human brain is malleable. Biases can be turned around if they are brought to one’s attention. The problem is that maybe reminders are not prevalent in our everyday lives. We may see images of war on the news, but this is

“My guess is that much of the wealthy are so adapted to their way of living that they aren’t aware of the vast struggles of the impoverished.”

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NOVEMBER 2011 |21

perhaps not specific enough. We still watch through our own tinted lenses, maybe as a proponent of one or the other of the conflicting sides. What should be emphasized is the nature of the core disagreement, how and why it exists, perhaps that it should not exist, and what the resolu-tion may be. We also need to be made more aware of our own slant and the perspective we are missing in our rep-ertoire. Once we can see all involved outlooks more holisti-cally, we notice their inherent sameness, and the ensuing ridiculousness of antagonism.

To illustrate a concrete example of a social issue involving the inability to take on another perspective, consider the rift between the wealthiest and poorest classes in the United States. My guess is that much of the wealthy are so adapted to their way of living that they aren’t aware of the vast struggles of the impoverished. They must know that the poor do in fact exist, but they cannot put them-selves in that situation, because they have never been there and do not relate to it experientially, and they also prob-ably feel no reason to make attempts to do so. They are so comfortable where they are. Whatever charities may be goading them to donate are just an annoyance. The thought of taking on the vantage of the poor does not cross their mind, at least not with any great urgency. And frankly, it would just be too much effort. But if something were to make them, imagine the impact it could have. If the wealthy were made to live like the poor, or to just ex-perience a small part of such a life, perhaps they would realize how awful it could be. To know that they personally would not want to be in a position of poverty may be enough for them to conclude that since there are other humans that are in that place, they need to be helped.

The prior example becomes an issue of human rights. Throughout the world, the poor lack many basic entitle-ments of life because they are bound by their circum-stances. In extreme conditions, there is lack of adequate shelter and nourishment to even stay alive. When the pres-sure of mortality is so present, anything beyond the neces-sities of life must seem frivolous.Furthermore, although it varies depending on the specific location, opportunities in jobs, education, and all areas of life, are in scarce supply. Law and justice may be seen as concepts created for the purpose of treating all equally in discernment of right or

wrong action, in protecting individuals from mistreatment, and overall, to keep human society as a whole in order and running smoothly. But they are also founded on an emo-tional groundwork. Humans are innately social, require contact with others for health and well being, and have built society based on the ability to operate in a network. For this to function properly, cooperation between people is essential. And in order for this to occur, we need to at least have respect for the views of others. This is not to say that it will be perfect. Dilemmas will inevitably arise. The paradox is that once we acknowledge human imperfection, the dilemmas are much less common. Throughout this entire process, empathy aids us. In 2009, President Obama propounded the qualifications he deemed necessary for successors to the Supreme Court. He included everything one might expect: extensive legal experience, a spotless ethical record, and dedication to the rule of law. However, Obama also added empathy. I will seek someone who under-stands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook; it is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives, whether they can make a living and care for their families, whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation. I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people’s hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes.

When a predicament comes to the fore, empathy helps us determine a just solution. Yes, we do have to rely on written law as a solid standard, but we also must be con-siderate of the circumstances under which the individuals involved acted. Maybe someone acted wrongly, did some-thing that is illegal, it was because they were facing such

“If the wealthy were made to live like the poor, or to just experience a small part of such a life, perhaps they would realize how awful it could be.”

22| MIAD BRIDGE Every Separation is a Link

plight, that for them at that time, it was the best decision. We need to be understanding of this. A person who may endanger others cannot be dismissed, but they also cannot be punished for being human. In all cases, beyond catego-rization of wronged and wrong-doer, and because all of us are really both, we need to be able to see an individual’s suffering and act out of compassion in an effort to correct it. This in itself serves to connect. In it is a realization that we are all human and that we all share the same life.

The nature of how we view and interact with others has directed culture, politics, economics, and human society as a whole, which also extends to our impact on the envi-ronment. All of these things provide us with a striking image of how we participate in and create our world.

This web of interrelationships has biological foundations, into which current studies surrounding the nature of the human nervous system have brought new insights. A region toward the front of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex, or MPFC, activates when we are pon-dering our own feelings, but also when we are thinking about or observing those same feelings in another. More specifically, a class of cells called mirror neurons, which are located in various areas of the brain, have been found to direct our ability to read not only another person’s actions, but also the intentions and emotions behind them. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti, a neuroscientist at the University of Parma credited with some of the first research of these structures in the 1990s, was quoted in saying, “We are exquisitely social creatures. Our survival depends on understanding the actions, intentions, and emotions of others. Mirror neurons allow us to grasp the minds of others not through conceptual reasoning but through direct simulation.”

Here is very real evidence of just how connected we are. In a sense we can simultaneously experience the thoughts and actions of another. This also poses the intimate con-nectivity of thought, action, and language. These cells fire when one performs an action, sees another carrying out that action, hears it happening, says the word for that action, or hears that word. Mirror neurons can be seen as

the meeting place of these different avenues, which all allow for understanding between people, and are essen-tially linked as a means of communication whose frame-work is emotional. It is also important to note that social emotions like shame, pride, embarrassment, and so on, are centered in a uniquely human mirror neuron system in a brain region called the insula. In a study conducted by Dr. Christian Keysers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, it was found that when people watched a hand go to caress someone and then saw another hand push it away, this region registered the pain of rejection. Moreover, he noted that humiliation appeared to be “mapped in the brain by the same mechanisms that encode real physical pain” This just goes to show us that when someone is suffering from emotional trauma, they are also really ailing from physical distress. When mirror neurons malfunction, an emotional level of communica-tion ceases to occur.

It is now thought that this is a major cause of Autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Autistic individuals are often cited as sort of living in their own world, or being highly anti-social. It could be that the neural basis of social abilities is lacking, and they therefore are significantly unable to relate to other people. Studies show that these individuals can identify an emotional facial expression, and even imitate it, but they do not feel its emotional significance. A similar effect is seen in individuals with Asperger’s syn-drome, who are unable to read facial expressions and vocal inflections, recognize sarcasm, and also cannot understand figurative language. They interpret everything logically and literally. For individuals with either disorder, everyday life is made extremely difficult simply since they cannot adequately relate socially and emotionally to other people. The importance of empathy is apparent. It lends us the competence to recognize that other viewpoints must be just as valid as our own. Scientific research has provided us with more clues as to how and why this phenomenon operates, and has given us greater insight into how incred-ible this biological capacity truly is. The complexity and social grounding of our empathy is something uniquely human. It lies behind much of our daily decisions and behavior, and is one of the key components of how we have developed as a society. Truly, it needs to exist for us

“Humans are innately social, require contact with others for health and well being, and have a built society based on the ability to operate in a network.”

“The nature of how we view and interact with others has directed culture, politics, economics, and human society as a whole, which also extends to our impact on the environment.”

to exist. All of this serves to remind us of empathy’s profundity. But what teaches us most is the face-to-face encounter in which we share a real and fathomless humanness with another.

Works Cited: Blakeslee, Sandra. “Cells That Read Minds”. The New York Times.// Boroditsky, Lera “Empathy and Other Mysteries” American Scholar.// Garret, Major. “Obama Pushes for ‘Empathetic’ Supreme Court Justices”. FoxNews.com.// DeVajas-Walt, Carmen. “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010”. Census.gov.

MIAD BRIDGE