AMA Journal of Ethics^®

Respect, compassion, and empathy are vital in any caring relationship.

Upholding the dignity of every individual is respect personified. Yet too much of this country’s history has been marred by denying this basic human dignity. Racist, sexist, and other hateful ideologies that regard one group of people as superior to another have displaced, enslaved, and disenfranchised too many of us.^1,2 Such ideologies expressed in personal actions and public policies continue to prevent everyone from realizing their full potential. For that, our country suffers mightily.

Concern for the suffering and distress of others is compassion personified. All of us are struggling to deal with the physical suffering and economic distress that have been wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. This struggle is made that much more difficult when basic facts and critical evidence about the pandemic are discounted and disbelieved.^3,4 If our country had tackled this public health threat as the emergency it was, more people would likely be alive today. It didn’t have to be this way.

Placing oneself in another person’s shoes is empathy personified. In a country that is polarized along so many different lines, the capacity to express empathy is sorely needed if our representative democracy is to survive, let alone thrive. Yet too many elected officials apparently lack the ability to empathize. Integrity-preserving compromise in the public square demands recognition of the position of one’s rival or opponent.^5,6 A house divided cannot stand.

The editor in chief and editorial board members of the AMA Journal of Ethics have been trained in caring disciplines and have committed our professional lives to promoting the health and welfare of the public. As we approach the end of an election year like no other, exercising our civic duty and voting for the common good are imperative.⁷ All of us are called upon to support candidates who personify respect, compassion, and empathy if we hope to realize a more fair and just future.