Today's letters: Forget materialism, show compassion

Friday, Jan. 10: With the holiday gift-giving season behind us, it's time for acts of kindness, a reader says. You can write to us too, at [email protected]

Published Jan 10, 2025  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

A homeless man tries to stay warm during a cold morning in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA

‘Compassion Day’ is what we need

Another holiday season has come and gone and already people are obsessing over what to get their loved ones for the next Hallmark Holiday in less than six weeks. Instead, we should all feel empty and disillusioned from this materialistic madness.

With more and more citizens becoming sensitized to the fast-growing issues of poverty, mental health and homelessness in our city, I believe it’s time we instituted a special day to draw further attention and trigger action to help the less fortunate.

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How about Compassion Day, to open people’s eyes, hearts and generosity? There are so many ways one can help a fellow human other than simply giving money.

Small gestures of kindness, such as phoning a long-lost friend; giving food or clothing to a homeless person; helping a senior go over a step or snowbank; inspiring someone down on his/her luck with a story of resilience; smiling at someone who looks sad, or even engaging in a small conversation with them; looking with care at panhandlers at red lights and wishing them a good day instead of pretending not to see them; offering to drive a friend to the grocery store; donating last year’s clothes to a charity; volunteering your time; or giving back to the community in any way you can.

There are no store-bought gifts in the world that can ever replace the warm feeling of doing a good deed for someone and seeing how much it’s appreciated. Love is a two-way street and it’s free.

Jean-Pierre Allard, Orléans

Whither those withering remarks?

Re: 2025, The year to start being civil?

A letter-writer made a New Year’s wish for more civility in public comments, such as in comments on news stories. He wrote, ”Nasty comments have little effect other than to … encourage other spiteful responses.”

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He may be right, and I can, in my better moments, sympathize with his remarks. Thing is, though, that these are anxious, worrisome times, and that many of our leaders and pundits actually play on these fears, rather than alleviate them or work to improve them.

The result: a fearful populace. And many, myself included, feel powerless, voiceless and unheard amid these huge, impersonal, scary, historic forces. What to do?

Why, get angry, of course. Otherwise, unexpressed fear and depression become toxic.

Hence the more vicious and spiteful comments to the editor. Like ‘em or hate ‘em, such writings relieve some of the tension and distress among hapless citizens, which could be seen as a positive effect, however small. Think of them as a safety valve. Why do you think “freedom of speech” is held up by many nations as an ideal in the first place?

And besides, some of those angry letters are funny as heck; what’s not to like? An angry laugh is far better than no laughs at all.

Jack Pyl, Ottawa

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