How Much Slack Should You Cut People?
By ShawnDay
@ShawnDay (227)
June 7, 2007 1:16pm CST
Is anyone else tired of people being allowed to do almost anything they want and then be cut slack because they have had it "tough?"
It goes all the way from people posting lies on the internet and then saying, "I'm upset because my cat died when I was 10" to people literally getting away with murder because they had "diffult childhoods."
People are tortured and raped every single day and in countries like Rwanda, genocides took place while the world looked the other way, millions of Jews were killed during the holocaust and yet, all of those people aren't running around living lives of crime, defrauding welfare, beating their children.
If it is inevitable that people are so weak they can't survive a bad life or bad event without going on to do evil, why is it people who have really had a difficult life aren't all bad themselves?
I'm sure there are exceptions, but for the most part, I think it's just a convenient excuse to avoid responsibility for your actions.
2 responses
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Jun 07
It all comes down to one basic fact of western culture... Victim=Respect.
Anyone who wants to be respected just has to find a way to paint themselves as a victim. If they can't, nothing they do will catch the public heart, if they do, they can do no wrong.
Look at the people making the news at any given time. Are they respected or despised? If they are respected, what have they done to earn that respect. Chances are, they are standing on their victimhood. If they are despised, it doesn't matter how much they have accomplished in life, they get no respect.
~~~~~~~
:Victim=Respect" ~ ParaTed2k's (Not So) Famous Sayings.
@hollydeleon86 (17)
• United States
11 Jun 07
I agree. A lot of people seem to think that can do whatever they want and get away with it because they had a crappy childhood or something. There are several people in my own family (including myself) that have had a really rough times at various stages in their lives. But they kept their heads up and kept marching. They don't use lame excuses about how everything sucks for them and that's why they break laws and hurt others. They live their lives the best they can...they love each other, take care of each other, and watch out for each other. I think leaning on a crutch like this is just a lame way of shunning responsibility and/or wanting to play the victimization game.
