I have been somewhat puzzled about what permits man to commit evil, such as the mass slaughter of his fellow humans, in spite of being of sound mind and strong religious convictions or Christian beliefs at the time the act is perpetrated. The absence of Christian belief is not what causes evil, and so one must ask, what is the one quality that appears to be absent from humans who commit such atrocities?

Because of my military background and my fascination with military history, I have read several accounts of Nazi atrocities against the Jews in Germany during the Holocaust. It was bad enough that the atrocities were committed primarily by disciplined military men, but how was it possible for the German people to have allowed the extermination and savage treatment of millions of Jews who had lived, worked with their German colleagues, and possibly been their neighbours?

Because of my military background and my fascination with military history, I have read several accounts of Nazi atrocities against the Jews in Germany during the Holocaust. It was bad enough that the atrocities were committed primarily by disciplined military men, but how was it possible for the German people to have allowed the extermination and savage treatment of millions of Jews who had lived, worked with their German colleagues, and possibly been their neighbours?

After World War II, between 1945 and 1949, several of those very Nazi leaders responsible for the atrocities stood trial at Nuremberg. Most of those on trial had passed what could be regarded as a mental fitness test. Psychologists and psychiatrists who interviewed them found they were not psychopaths, but men who, during the atrocities, lived normal lives as loving fathers and husbands. Some of these leaders who were fathers even conducted nightly prayers with their children. Where was the outrage from the German people when their Jewish neighbours were being rounded up like cattle and herded into concentration camps to eventually face the horrors of a gas chamber and death? Was the absence of that outrage and rejection of the treatment the result of what the Nazi leader Hermann Goring explained away by saying that, “the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is always easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”

However, I believe the answer lies mainly with the absence of empathy. Both the German people and the Third Reich leadership of Adolf Hitler had lost the ability to empathise. They had become immune to evil. And so, what is this empathy?

To one of the world’s all-time great leaders, President Barack Obama, empathy is all important. On several occasions Obama eloquently emphasised the importance of that quality which society should possess to avoid such injustices and atrocities that were inflicted on the Jews. Here are a few of Obama’s quotes on the subject of empathy:

“The biggest deficit that we have in our society, and in the world right now, is an empathy deficit. We are in great need of people being able to stand in somebody else’s shoes and see the world through their eyes. That’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen.”

“We live in a culture that discourages empathy; a culture that too often tells us our principal goal in life is to be rich, thin, young, famous, safe, and entertained.”

“But our young boys and girls see that. They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife. They see when you are inconsiderate at home; or when you are distant; or when you are thinking only of yourself. And so, it’s no surprise when we see that behaviour in our schools or on our streets.”

“That’s why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them. We need to show our kids that you’re not strong by putting other people down, you’re strong by lifting them up. That’s our responsibility as fathers.”

Could it be that this very quality of empathy has made President Obama the great world leader he is? Isn’t it that very quality that had us all spellbound at his eulogy for the Rev Clementa Pinckney, who was killed by a white racist in South Carolina?

So, as Jamaica approaches another anniversary of being an independent country, can we not start now to embark on closing this ’empathy deficit’ in our country? During the coming week, let us try, for instance, to show empathy when Tivoli residents are scheduled to give evidence again before the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry. And let us hope the Jamaican church can preach empathy from their pulpits of the kind our Lord would certainly have us demonstrate. However, and more importantly, remember what President Obama has cautioned: Empathy, not sympathy.

Colonel Allan Douglas is a retired Jamaica Defence Force officer. Send comments to: alldouglas@aol.com