I'm not in the least bit ashamed to say that I shed more than a few tears the first time I read this story and saw the pre & post attack pictures of 5-year-old Youssif on CNN.com a couple days ago. Sometimes, I find the things we as human beings are simply capable of doing to eachother is just......well, unfathomable I guess is the best word.
Five-year-old Youssif is scarred for life, his once beautiful smile turned into a grotesquely disfigured face -- the face of a horrifying act by masked men. They grabbed him on a January day outside his central Baghdad home, doused him with gas and set him ablaze.
Yet, out of this terrible tragedy that showcased the very worst we are capable of - pure hatred, indescribable cruelty and a desire to see others suffer - we thankfully have the opportunity to show the polar opposite side of human nature - the side of compassion.
Read More