One of the most powerful feelings humans are capable of experiencing is sympathy. Sympathy is “harmony or agreement in feeling” (Dictionary). One potential reason why an individual might feel sympathy towards another individual would be due to a traumatic experience. Compassion for one's deepest feelings such as anguish and suffering transcends the existence of two separate individuals and creates an emotional bond that forms a figuratively united and compassionate entity. In many cases, those who suffer the most are not those who die in war, but those who have to live with the fact that they have lost a loved one in such dangers. These individuals must wake up every morning and bear this burden due to the loss of a person they once loved so dearly. Although devoid of physical presence, the spirit of this deceased individual lives within those who loved him and must live out the remainder of his life free from the living influence of the deceased being. Following the Vietnam War, one of the most contested and debated wars in American history, two million seven hundred thousand men and women lost their lives on the battlefield in service to our nation (Dictionary). Many would argue that those who were most affected by these deaths were actually those who lost their loved ones in this catastrophic feud. According to Didier Fassin in his work “The Humanitarian Politics of Witnessing: Subjectivation through Trauma in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” incidents should incite philanthropic efforts among bystanders and create not only the will to repair the cause of such ailments, but also a sense of solidarity with the victims of the incident. Although the title of Fassin's work may indicate that he is so... middle of paper... on this wall, as a memorial and “place of healing” (Vietnam Association), the victims of the Vietnam War, alive or deceased, would not attract the same amount of attention and compassion that they still do today. Works Cited 29, December. “Information on the Wall.” The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall page. Vietnamese Association. Network. 10 November 2011. .Fassin, Didier. “The Humanitarian Politics of Testimony: Subjectification through Trauma in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Diss. Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Social Issues, Ecole Des Hautes Etudes En Sciences Sociales and University of Paris-Nord. Network. November 10, 2011. "Sympathy | Define sympathy at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find meanings and definitions of at Dictionary.com. Network. November 10. 2011. .