"When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?" Eleanor Roosevelt
The meaning of the quotation is that we do have consciences, we do not always follow them. We tend to ignore the mistreatment of others until we finally are no longer able to to avoid it. Our society avoids problems till it is so horrific, brutal or stunning that it is impossible to just forget it. Sometimes our consciences need a hard hit of reality before we listen to them and act on them.
The meaning of this quotation is seen in our society today through the Marhta Stewart case. This is so because it's coomon knowledge that there is inside trading especially on Wall Street and the Stock Market. Instead of stopping it from the beginning, they used Stewart as an example to others who try what she did. They maligned and disparaged her until she was put in jail. With the understanding that she did lie under oath and so on, the fact that they mistreated for months for a minimal charge is insane. Then once she was released, everyone praises her outfit and say how "chic" she looks, how she lost weight and how much money she made while in jail. This shows how people ease their own consciences. After belittling her for months they smile in her face and speak virtuous words.
