What is compassion?

The release of a man acussed to be a Lockerbie bomber provoked a global discussion about compassion. He has only several weeks. He has prostate cancer and was given only months to live. This release happened in Scotland, not in the United States. If this man had been convicted in USA of course he would be comdemned to a capital punishment. So, what is compassion? For different countries there are different appreciations and for different populations or cultures too. If this man had no compassion when realized his crime it is not a reason we do not have compassion too. But along history it is true that the empire of the United States never have had compassion other than to maintain his power and points of view over the whole world.

Next tuesday we start new courses at the Faculty. On monday we will have an academic meeting to discuss several issues about this new period of classes. With the time goes on I am less motivated to meet new students at classwork. I think more and more on retiring and to withdraw. But with the time goes on I am greatedly motivated to learn and to study more on web technologies and the techonological trends of future. My mind never stop learning and it is motivated with the future. That´s a characteristic of human minds. Never stop working until death or disabilty to learn and teach. I feel exhausted and tired but still going on the road.

I find several colleagues tired too. But specially bored with their classes. I see them using the same knowledge for teaching every semester. They are not motivated to do a better course each period. I note these colleagues do not use web technologies in their lectures. They teach based on the same books and notes year by year. This is a common place all over the public university where I work. Teachers are accustomed to passive behaviours, just as they were teached. They rarely buy a new book or look for a scientific paper related to his work. If the administration do not give them new material for teaching they do not look forward. Same book and same edition year by year. I do not want to demonize my colleagues, but this is the real thing I find at school. Of course, they try their sons and daughters to go to private school or public schools outside the state. But it is as their own lives are finished. So, they will not look on their own future. Fathers end life when sons and daughters are growing. We do not earn much money. All money must be delivered to educate their own children. I can see many examples. My colleagues do not own a personal computer and smart phones but their children yes. This is a bad issue in our public universities. Our Mexican Public Universities are extremely politicized too. Our academic leaders follow the statement: Power is power.

What is compassion?