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To: FreeReign
I'll let my M.A. speak for itself when it comes to knowing the meaning of words. You may feel free to celebrate with the people of Iraq all you wish, but YOU will never know the depth of their feelings and no amount of talking by you will ever change that fact.

In college I met and made friends with several Iraqi nationals in the early 90's (after the war to remove Saddam from Kuwait). They shared stories of what had happended to members of their family under Saddam (some of whom disappeared never to been seen again). I've never experienced such a traumatic event. Again, I can SYMPATHIZE with what they shared with me, but I cannot ever know the depth of their pain, and neither can anyone who has not experienced what they did. The family members of the victims of Ted Bundy can feel that pain, but I cannot. Can I imagine what that pain feels like? It does not matter whether I can "imagine" that pain or not as this is not, nor can every be the same as "feeling" that pain.

Celebrate, but don't try to give a psychologist a lesson in empathy vs sympathy. I deel with both on a daily basis and know the differnce between the two quite well.

4,942 posted on 12/30/2006 11:47:36 AM PST by SoldierDad (Proud Father of a 2nd BCT 10th Mountain Soldier fighting the terrorists in Iraq)
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To: SoldierDad
Celebrate, but don't try to give a psychologist a lesson in empathy vs sympathy. I deel with both on a daily basis and know the differnce between the two quite well.

I never used the word sympathy nor did I try to compare it with the word empathy. I simply used the word empathy, correctly.

Why do you try to give a lesson using a strawman fallacy?

4,945 posted on 12/30/2006 12:03:29 PM PST by FreeReign
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