When asked about struggles we face, I’ve said we suffer from a “crisis of empathy” in our nation. We are losing ability to walk in someone’s shoes or see world through their eyes. But I have hope as I saw powerful moment of empathy this week at White House with @JoeBiden (THREAD) 
I was at the White House for a Bill signing addressing Hate Crimes against AAPI. Parents of Heather Heyer and Khalid Jabara were there. Both lost their children to violence. Heather murdered in Charlottesville when nazis stormed town, Khalid killed in front of his home. 2/10
Biden asked the parents to stand up. He thanked them for coming. “I know from experience, it takes enormous courage,” he said. He told them it’s hard to celebrate a Bill signing about violence because it feels like “you got the news 10 seconds ago” about loss of family. 3/10
Biden looked directly at the family. I was seated in a way where I could see the prompter and the formal remarks frozen on screen. The President was speaking from his heart, from a parent who knows tragedy and loss to other parents who experience the unspeakable. 4/10
Then Biden said “But I hope -- I hope that every day that’s passed, a memory of your son and daughter brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.” He said those words softly, as if the parents were the only ones there. These words were just for them. 5/10
“Because I promise you: A lot of people understand, have gone through similar things. It's hard.” The President’s words and connection were remarkable. I had the chance to work with Biden for years when he was VP. But I never witnessed anything quite like that. 6/10
It reminded me that Empathy is a strength, not a weakness. Empathy is the shared space between us. The recognition that we have a shared humanity. We are losing this feeling when we put up all the divisions that are separating us. 7/10
At its highest form of virtue, empathy reminds us that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves. Empathy builds in us humility in knowing that our experience on this earth is different from others and that we can and must recognize that. 8/10
This is more important than ever. Huge percentages of Americans across political spectrum say they believe those in other party are the “enemy.” That is a dangerous place to be as a nation and one that shows enormous threat to our democracy. 9/10 washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…
I do believe we are experiencing a crisis of empathy. More and more we are siloed as a society. Social media reinforces our separations. I believe we can overcome these challenges, but only if we can look at each other and understand our shared humanity. END
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