by Nomad
The theme for this month's good news round-up is compassion. In a time of growing intolerance and the mentality of "might makes right," it might seem like the idea of compassion has gone extinct. It's not so hard to find evidence to the contrary.
Blind man who fell onto Toronto subway tracks rescued by 3 bystanders
When a blind man stumbled off the platform and onto the tracks of a downtown Toronto subway station, his rescue depended on the courage and quick thinking of three young bystanders to do what had to be done.
In an interview with the local news, one of the rescuers said:
"People may think I did something heroic but I think I did the very human thing to help another person in need."
Person buys $1M worth of remaining toys at Toys 'R' Us store to donate to kids
Perhaps it is an unlikely setting for a good news story. Once one of the largest toy retailers in the country, Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy back in late 2017 and since that time, the company hasn't been able to turn itself around financially.
For the employees, those are undoubtedly sad times. However, due to the kindness of a stranger, there will be some smiles. In Raleigh, North Carolina, an anonymous person purchased $1 million worth of the remaining toys at the closing local toy store chain to donate to local children.
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'One America': Small town welcomes thousands of refugees with Southern hospitality
The town of Clarkston, Georgia made news last week by bucking the anti-immigrant trend. According to the source, this tiny town has demonstrated the tradition that not so long ago was a source of great pride for the South: its famous hospitality.
Clarkston has become what mayor Ted Terry calls the "Ellis Island of the South," a destination for international refugees that packs 40 nationalities speaking 60 languages into the town’s 1.4 square miles.
Town's Compassionate Approach Cuts Rates of Overdose by More Than Half – State to Adopt It
Another story of one town's compassionate solution. Huntington, West Virginia is one of those cities that has been devastated by the opioid epidemic sweeping America.
This administration's solution has been largely punitive, choosing to punish the victims and the dealers without discrimination. Huntington has chosen a different path. In 2014, the town launched a compassion-based outreach program that has cut the rate of overdoses by more than half in less than one year.
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So, I close this post with a quote from the Dalai Lama.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”