I guess I’d have to go with the transgendered and the mentally ill here. There are plenty of other groups I feel sorry for–Native Americans, LGB folk, and the handicapped–that I feel sorry for, because they’re in a bad way and I can empathize with them. But as far as transgendered folk go, I know they’re in a bad way, but I’ll be damned if I can even imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes. Same for the mentally ill.
I can’t get behind that one. There are bazillions of children out there that need a loving home, and far too many people get stuck in the “we only want the child that we make” mindset. For the amount of time and money that some infertile couples will spend trying to get pregnant, they could have rescued any number of children through adoption.
As for me - I really feel for people who are born with terminal conditions that will eventually kill them - Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle-cell anemia, etc. - but they never know when. They may live to be four, ten, or even thirty, but they always know it’s going to sneak up on them and get them, and they’re most likely going to live a life of pain and frustration until that point.
Definitely GLBT folk. I’ve been lucky enough to have always had homosexual people I knew as people and I fervently believe it has been, and continues to, get better (that is, with respect to homophobia - obviously homosexuals don’t need to ‘get better’ :)), but this is one ‘issue’ that I absolutely cannot see the ‘other side’ of.
Also legal immigrants, who almost without exception improve the cultural richness of the society they completely transform their lives to get to. Nevertheless, they are often terribly disenfranchised and/or assumed to be ‘freeloading’ or illegal (I hate the way illegals are treated as well, but that’s a different sort of issue), or ‘not like us’ and therefore scary.
Cheers,
Daphne
Disables vets. To go from able bodied and top physical condition to the violence of losing limbs and livelyhood in a flash. Is it worse to have had and lost than to never had at all?
Democrats
The same as everyone else, really-the mentally ill, gay/bisexuals. Especially those who are transgendered (transgenders? I can never remember the right term!). I mean, imagine being forced to live for years in the wrong body and have people mock you and spit on you…I can’t even think of it.
I would also add any of the above who live in very small, narrow-minded communities, or have ultra-fundy-conservative-bigotted families. That’s gotta be even worse.
People who live in third world countries-they get fucked over, not only by their own governments, but by other nations as well, and all people ever say is, “Who cares about some guy in the Republic of Pissant?”
But they’re not able-bodied white children, so they don’t count.
The working poor because they are in that sad little area between making way too little money and not enough to survive. Also I get bugged when I have to listen to people like my conservative family constantly talk about how tax cuts for the rich are a great idea to boost the economy since the rich will buy more luxury items but increasing the minimum wage to $7/hr is going to ruin the economy by eliminating job growth. It sucks that the people who need extra money the most are treated like they deserve it the least in this society.
The mentally ill get my sympathy too. So do the obese.
Locked-in Syndrome: total loss of mobility and communication ability with intact cognition
People with severe physical/mental disabilities - para/quadrapalegic, parkinsons, muscular distrophy, schizophrenia, severe depression, etc…
Disadvantaged familes - these people work their ass off just to put food on the table, and watch as their kids have to go to an underfunded public school, where their chances to be able to get a good education to finally get out of the loop of poverty are slim. In addition, they cannot afford simple health care. These people DIE because our government doesn’t deem it worthy to make sure everyone has free healthcare. 
:mad:
Manchester City supporters
I will have to go with elderly people who don’t have money or people to love them. When I feel really down, I think about how much worse it would be if I wasn’t young and couldn’t work and couldn’t go out and make friends easily. It really bothers me that a lot of younger people don’t value or respect older people. What’s the point in growing old and wise if everyone is just going to treat you like you’re a dumb old person?
I also don’t know how people survive losing kids. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been boggled at the fact that nature allows that to happen. I can’t imagine anything that could be worse.
Since I can pick one more I will say that I really worry about abused kids who have nobody to help them. Right now all over the world terrible things are happening to kids and there’s nothing i can do about it and that makes me cry.
Here’s an idea that just came to mind: donate the equivalent of an SDMB subscription (that is, donate $15 or whatever) to a fund that advances the cause of one of the groups you’ve listed–a rights advocacy group, a disease research funding group, a support group, a rescue crew, a political action committee, etc. Every little bit helps, and we’ve already spent the same amount of money for our Dope, right?
I would do it, but I don’t have any money right now (no, really, none) except in my meal plan, from which I can’t withdraw any of it. I’m probably going to get some money soon participating in a study; I’ll make a note to spend some of it doing this.
Queer and trans youth.
Good idea, fetus.
The group that I have the most sympathy for are those who are dying and suffer horribly, but the law will not allow them to be released from their pain.
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Alzheimer’s patients and the loved ones who care for them.
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GLBT kids who live in a hostile environment.
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Parents of a kid who’s been abducted and never found, or parents of a kid who committed suicide.
It’s interesting to see which demographic all of you are most sympathetic too. My heart, indeed, goes out to all of the groups that are listed in this thread. When I read the post I interpreted it to mean those people that are disadvantaged due to civil rights infractions more than comsic smackdowns such as being paralyzed, infertile, etc.
If I am understanding the OP incorrectly then I would have to say anyone that suffers any undue emotional of physical pain garners my sympathy and compassion.
That was supposed to read emotional OR physical pain. :smack:
Those whom will lose their jobs because of the Sears/Kmart merger.
I’m SO with you, Freejooky, on not being behind the infertility thing, but I’m kind of not with you on the terminal conditions thing in a way because life in general is the same way - it’s going to sneak up and you and get you and give you pain and frustration in the bargain. I still feel bad for sick people though.
For me, it’s abused, neglected and unloved children that get my strongest sympathy. It’s too sad to even discuss.