A Nation of Victims

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

We are a nation of victims.

It makes no difference what demographic group you fit into, chances are you’re the victim of something, of some malady that besets our society or our culture. Women, minorities, and even white middle-aged males like myself can, without having to look particularly long or hard, point to some instance in which they have been offended or harmed solely based on who they are. If we cannot come together as a nation under a shared political or religious credo, then certainly we should be able to find common ground as victims.

That last sentence sounded awfully dismissive, didn’t it? That’s because victims tend to see themselves as unique in their suffering and that no other person can possibly understand or appreciate the depth of their sorrow. “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen” goes the old spiritual. “Nobody knows but Jesus.” To suggest that you, as a victim, are merely another face in the crowd is to deny the validity of your experience and to call into question your status as a genuine victim.

And let’s be clear on something. In the realm of politics, one’s status as victim brings with it certain advantages, not least of which is the moral high ground in nearly every situation. You’ve all seen campaign commercials where Candidate Smith proclaims that he is a champion of the “rights of the victim” which often takes on the tone of a double-dog dare for anyone to disagree with him. Candidate Jones can simply counter that he’s an even bigger champion than Candidate Smith. And so our justice system becomes distorted like a funhouse mirror by politicians pandering to a vague sense of victimization.

This presidential campaign season is unique because we have the opportunity to elect either the first woman or the first African American to the presidency. Here we have two representatives of two traditionally victimized groups, each vying for the nomination of the Democratic Party. The temptation has been for both sides to cry foul. Clinton supporters have accused Obama supporters of sexism, and Obama supporters have accused Clinton supporters of being racists. Both sides have adopted the common rhetoric of victimhood, both sides are claiming to be the only genuine victim in the race.

Both sides need to wise up.

Victims are typically the objects of pity and commiseration, but rarely are they the object of our esteem. The presidency will be awarded to the candidate who is deemed most able to navigate through the troubled waters of war and recession, not the candidate who can cry the loudest and the longest. We prefer our Presidents to be strong and confident. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, stricken with polio in 1921 and confined to a wheelchair, chose to hide his disability from the American people and became one of the singular leaders in American history.

The next President of the United States will be the person who people trust not only with the practical aspects of government like creating jobs, but also with the care and keeping of our national spirit. That job will not be awarded to someone who is perceived as nursing grievances for past wrongs. The true brilliance of Barack Obama’s speech on Tuesday was that he managed to address the subject of racism without appearing to claim the status of victim. Your grievances are real, he said to both a black and a white audience, but your grievances aren’t the whole story. And now is the time to write a new chapter in the history of race relations in America.

That is a message that will win votes, and both sides do well be giving voters more of it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. Absolutely correct. n/t

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

2. Thanks...

I especially hope that people around here will stop pointing fingers and start talking about solutions.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Kick.