BY ERIC SCHALLER
Los Alamos

I used to work in a level 1 trauma center’s Emergency Department. Occasionally, we saw the results of horrible, evil things come in the door. Things that could rattle the most seasoned docs, nurses, techs, and researchers. Things that I don’t talk about. Things that make you question the assumption that humanity is basically good. Things that make you question whether what you are doing is worth while. Things that can make you become cynical and turn your back on trying to help people. To help myself and my team cope with things like this, I developed the following philosophy, which is very relevant today:

When you see evil, true evil, Don’t give up hope, and don’t give up on humanity.  Do something good. Anything. Help a neighbor. Give someone a hug. Listen to someone who needs to be heard. Be generous. Anything. Just don’t give up on humanity. Simply put: We are the forces for good in this world, and you must hold the fucking line. You must! Because if good loses hope and stops doing good, Evil wins. Don’t let it.

You can always change the way you do this, and you don’t have to be the one that confronts the evil head on; but I challenge you to commit to representing good until your last breath. Try to foster the habit within yourself that seeing evil makes you want to do good. I believe that humanity will continue on a slow arc towards justice,  peace, and freedom for all, but it’s not magic. It is good people showing through their actions that compassion, love, and empathy are stronger then hate.  Don’t let hate make you hate. Keep love at the center of your soul, and help me demonstrate this to others!