It is crazy to honestly believe that those living in car dependent areas lack empathy. I'm sorry as someone who loves transit and will wax poetic on my lovely light rail, I am not okay with literally dehumanizing people I disagree with and saying they lack the ability to feel compassion.

Come on.. you're better than that. Compassion, empathy, etc are found almost anywhere.

Do people need to be shown it could work? Yes. They don't need to thought of as deficient people.