Real Compassion

What exactly is compassion?  Should compassion be government mandated and run, or should compassion be a private matter?  How do we “distribute” compassion?

To me, compassion is not defined as how many people are dependent on the government, but rather how many people no longer need the help of the government.  A successful welfare system is defined as one that takes people off of welfare, not one that increases how many individuals depend on it.

So how should we give out our compassion?  Through mandated, forced government programs?  No.  I say we give individual liberty, not government dependence.  The short-term, immediate “fix” that is government welfare, is far outweighed by the unhealthy, long-term addictions it causes.

The first line of defense is our own self-reliance, our own desire to be better, our own capacity to deal with the responsibilities that have been put upon us.  If we exhaust all of our resources, then I believe family, friends, churches, charities and, last resort, the local government should help the needy, but the federal government should never be involved.  How do they really know what the local communities need anyway?

What is compassion to you?  How do you show compassion on others?