Guest commentary: Choosing kindness is a choice, and opportunity

kAmpD x D66 :E[ <:?5?6DD :D 2 49@:46 H6 >2<6 D6G6C2= E:>6D 2 52J] z:?5?6DD 6?C:496D @FC =:G6D 2?5 3F:=5D ECFDE] |@C6@G6C[ E96C6 :D 2 4@?E:?FF> @7 <:?5?6DD] z:?5?6DD 42? DE2CE 2D 8@@5 >2??6CD[ 25G2?46 E@ C6DA64E[ 364@>6 923:EF2=[ 6>A2E96E:4[ :?E6?E:@?2= 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 4@>A2DD:@?2E6 :ED6=7]k^Am

kAmpD =@?6=:?6DD 364@>6D :?4C62D:?8=J AC6G2=6?E :? @FC D@4:6EJ[ <:?5?6DD >:89E 36 2 A=246 E@ DE2CE E@ 7:I H92E :D 3C@<6?] p D>:=6 96C6[ E:>6 5@?2E65 E96C6[ 2? 6?4@FC28:?8 H@C5 — E96D6 3F:=5 4@C5:2= C6=2E:@?D9:AD 2?5 >2<6 >6>@C:6D 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6]k^Am

kAmz:?5?6DD 96=AD FD 3F:=5 C6=2E:@?D9:AD 2?5 :>AC@G6 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D] z:?5 49@:46D 2C6 C2C6=J D6=7\D6CG:?8 2=E9@F89 2 E@F49 @7 C64:AC@4:EJ :D 96=A7F=j <:?5?6DD 42? 36 2 EH@\H2J DEC66E] {2E6=J[ x’G6 ?@E:465 E92E x 49@@D6 >J 2EE:EF56D[ 24E:@?D 2?5 H@C5D >@C6 42C67F==J] x 7:?5 E92E x G2=F6 6?4@FC286>6?E 2?5 =@G6 6G6? >@C6 E92? 6G6C]k^Am

kAm$F49 <:?5?6DD :D ?@E @7E6? @776C65 E@ E96 9@>6=6DD] (6’G6 2== 962C5 C62D@?D ?@E E@ C6249 @FE] xE’D 2 D42>] %96J 2C6 =2KJ[ 325 7@C 3FD:?6DD] E96 F?E@F4923=6D] (6 A2J A6@A=6 E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 E96>[ D@ H6 H@?’E 92G6 E@ 5@ D@] p?5 J@F >:89E 36 DFCAC:D65 E@ 7:?5 @FE H9@ 2>@?8 J@FC 2DD@4:2E6D :D W@C 92D 366?X F?9@FD65]k^Am

kAm(96? x H2D 8C@H:?8 FA @FC A2A6C 3@J[ H9:=6 96 H2D @? 9:D A2A6C C@FE6[ 7@F?5 2 >2? H9@ H2D 7C@K6? E@ 562E9 :? E96 D?@H] %9:D `a\J62C\@=5 H2D FA 367@C6 52H? 56=:G6C:?8 A2A6CD 2?5 42>6 24C@DD 2 5625 3@5J] x 5@?’E <?@H 9@H :E 6?565 7@C E96 3@J @C E96 56462D65[ 3FE @FC ?6:893@C9@@5 3642>6 C68C6E7F=[ 2D92>65[ 2?5 6G6?EF2==J G6CJ D64C6E:G6 23@FE H92E 92AA6?65]k^Am

kAm!=62D6 C6>6>36C E92E z6?@D92 H:?E6CD 2C6 =@?8[ 52C< 2?5 4@=5[ 6G6? 27E6C E96 9@=:52JD 2C6 @G6C] %9:D H:?E6C 92D DE2CE65 G6CJ 7:6C46=J] *@F 42? 49@@D6 E@ 6I6C4:D6 J@FC <:?5 2?5 4@>A2DD:@?2E6 DA:C:E E9:D H:?E6C 2D :?5:G:5F2=D[ @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 :?DE:EFE:@?D]k^Am

kAm%9:D y2?F2CJ E96 r@2=:E:@? 7@C s:D>2?E=:?8 #24:D> :D DA@?D@C:?8 :ED b_E9 2??F2= 46=63C2E:@? @7 <:?5?6DD] z:?5?6DD (66< 6?8286D :?5:G:5F2=D 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D E@ 46=63C2E6 2?5 AC24E:46 24ED @7 <:?5?6DD] uC@> 49:=5C6? E@ D6?:@CD[ <:?5?6DD 364@>6D E96 <6JH@C5] xE 92AA6?D 5FC:?8 E96 H66< @7 sC] |2CE:? {FE96C z:?8UCDBF@jD 3:CE952J 6G6CJ J62C] (2E49 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? :? E96 z6?@D92 }6HD 2?5 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^<6?@D92?6HD]4@>Qm<6?@D92?6HD]4@>k^2m]k^Am

kAmx C682C5 z:?5?6DD (66< 2D 2 DA:C:EF2= =:89E9@FD6 @? E96 D9@C6D @7 z6?@D92]k^Am

kAm}6IE[ 4@?D:56C E96 A=:89E @7 E96 9@>6=6DD] (2C>E9[ 7@@5[ 2?5 2 A@CE\2\A@EEJ 2C6 EC62DFC6D 7@C E9@D6 =:G:?8 @? E96 DEC66E]k^Am

kAmp 4FCD@CJ D62C49 @? E96 :?E6C?6E C6G62=D E92E E96 AC6G2=6?46 @7 9@>6=6DD?6DD :D 8C62E6DE 2>@?8 A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C] ~?6 DEF5J D9@H65 E92E b_\c_T @7 E96 9@>6=6DD H6C6 p7C:42? p>6C:42? H9:=6 E96 D2>6 >:?@C:EJ C6AC6D6?E2E:@? :? E96 86?6C2= A@AF=2E:@? H2D `dT] ~G6CC6AC6D6?E65 :D E96 E6C> FD65 7@C E9:D] ~G6CC6AC6D6?E65[ F?56C\C6D@FC465 2?5 2=@?6[ E96 9@>6=6DD D66 2?@E96C D:56 @7 FD]k^Am

kAm%96 A@AF=2E:@? @7 E9@D6 @G6C ed :D 2=D@ @? E96 C:D6[ 2?5 E96 52?86C 7@C H@>6? :D >F49 8C62E6C E92? 7@C E96:C 3C@E96CD]k^Am

kAmz6?@D92 :D 3=6DD65 H:E9 >2?J ?@?AC@7:ED[ @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 AF3=:4 6?E:E:6D E92E 92G6 DE6AA65 FA E@ 7665 E96 9F?8CJ 2?5 9@FD6 E96 9@>6=6DD] %96C6 2C6 E@@ >2?J E@ =:DE[ 2?5 >2?J E92E C6>2:? F?C64@8?:K65] w@H6G6C[ E96 ?665D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 8C@H] x7 J@F H:D9 E@ C6249 @FE @C 96=A FD 56G6=@A 2 >@C6 4@>A=6E6 =:DE @7 C6D@FC46D[ A=62D6 6>2:= >6 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i<6?@D92>4Co8>2:=]4@>Qm<6?@D92>4Co8>2:=]4@>k^2mk^Am

kAm%9:D H:?E6C[ 2 3C@256C 4@2=:E:@? @7 =@42= @C82?:K2E:@?D[ 4:G:4 =6256CD 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D 92D 2>3:E:@FD=J 4@>6 E@86E96C E@ 6IE6?5 E96 C6249 @7 42C6 7@C z6?@D92’D 9@>6=6DD] z6?@D92’D $FAA@CE6CD @7 $96=E6C W$~$X :D 2 ?6H 8C@FA H@C<:?8 E@86E96C E@ :56?E:7J 2?5 255C6DD E96 82AD] |2?J @7 E96 >6>36CD H@C< :? E96 7:6=5 2?5 3C:?8 8C62E <?@H=6586 E@ 362C] %96J 9@A6 E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 2EEC24E >@C6 C6D@FC46D] %96 $~$ 4@2=:E:@? >6>36CD 4@>3:?6D E96:C C6D@FC46D 2?5 6IA6CE:D6 E@ AC@G:56 E96 >2I:>F> DFAA@CE A@DD:3=6]k^Am

kAmx 42?’E 96=A 3FE H@?56C H92E H@F=5 92AA6? :7 >@C6 @7 FD DF556?=J 76== :?E@ ?665] pD H6 2AA=J AF3=:4 4FED :? 962=E9 42C6[ 962E:?8[ 9@FD:?8 2?5 7@@5[ x 762C E92E =@42= ?665 4@F=5 6IA2?5 C2A:5=J] x H@F=5 9@A6 H6 4@F=5 36 AC6A2C65 E@ D42=6 FA @FC C6DA@?D6 E9C@F89 2 ?6EH@C< @7 <:?5 :?:E:2E:G6D] %9:D H:== C6BF:C6 >@C6 AF3=:4[ D64F=2C 2?5 72:E9\32D65 677@CED]k^Am

kAmr@?D6?DFD 2E $~$ :D E92E z6?@D92 H@F=5 36?67:E 7C@> 2 ECF6 t>6C86?4J w@>6=6DD $96=E6C E92E :D @A6? bed 52JD 2 J62C 7C@> 62C=J 6G6?:?8 F?E:= >@C?:?8] %9:D :?:E:2E:G6 H@F=5 36 2 “?6H” @776C:?8 E92E :D >F49 ?66565[ E92E 4@F=5 7:== :? =:76\E9C62E6?:?8 82AD :? D6CG:46]k^Am

kAmx7 J@F H:D9 E@ C6249 @FE E@ $~$[ G:D:E E96:C u2463@@< A286i k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]72463@@<]4@>^D92C6^8^`ps(qvD7|D^QmHHH]72463@@<]4@>^D92C6^8^`ps(qvD7|D^k^2m]k^Am