In the Woods of Quebec 

In Defence of the Bleeding Hearts

Valentine’s Day-a day symbolized by hearts. You can’t walk through a mall without seeing hearts absolutely everywhere so I thought it would be a good day to share my thoughts about Bleeding Hearts.

In the past few months on several occasions people have sneered at me “Oh you’re just a Bleeding Heart” in a dismissive, derisive and derogatory way.

So I have given this much thought and my response is, “Yes, yes I am and I am damn proud of it.”

My heart does bleed
For animals that are abused
For children that are sexually assaulted before they even start kindergarden
For teenagers that are bullied to the point that suicide seems like a rational option
For the 25 000 people that will die of hunger TODAY
For the environment
For women who live in societies where honour killings go unpunished
For veterans who come home after serving their countries and are not given the resources they need to return to civilian life
My heart does bleed 

And each day in my own small ways I try to make the world a better place
 
In my opinion it is much better to have a Bleeding Heart than one that is stone cold.

But just because I am a Bleeding Heart that does not mean I am soft or naïve. It does not mean I have love for everyone or even that I can find forgiveness for everyone (I am far from being that enlightened).

While I do not believe in the death penalty I definitely believe in much harsher prison sentences for those who chose to commit violent crimes and I am unable to feel sympathy towards them at this stage in my life.

To me the qualities that most define a Bleeding Heart are compassion, empathy, integrity and kindness so I’ll take being called a Bleeding Heart as a compliment.

When people sneer about The Bleeding Hearts I have to wonder if they realize the contributions The Bleeding Hearts have made to the world.

It was Bleeding Hearts who would have rallied against slavery
It was Bleeding Hearts who would have worked for women to get the vote
It was Bleeding Hearts who created the Children’s Aid Society and the SPCA
It was Bleeding Hearts who believed EVERY child was entitled to an education
It was Bleeding Hearts who fought for safe work environments
Belong to a union? Well you can thank the Bleeding Hearts who came before you who fought for the benefits you enjoy today
And here in Canada, it was Bleeding Hearts who believed every citizen should have access to healthcare

When I think of people throughout history it seems to me that Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein, Jane Adams, The Dalai Lama and Albert Schweitzer may have been considered Bleeding Hearts. While I am sure Attila the Hun, Vlad the Impaler, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Ruhollah Khomeini have never been accused of having a bleeding heart.

I know whose company I’d rather keep.

So to all of you Bleeding Hearts out there I send my love and best wishes and hope you have Happy Valentine’s Day.

Keep up the good work

Warm Wishes

Denise