Victim-Blaming is all Kinds of Wrong
Dec. 3rd, 2014 10:03 pmIt can be really frakking triggering, when we have survived violence, and we talk about the violence, and we get told we must have done something to deserve the violence.
It isn't much better, when we have survived violence, and we have another story about other violence, and we get told that the other victim must have done something to deserve the violence.
It enables people to dismiss any given victim of an injustice, and thereby to dismiss the very existence of an injustice.
It means that people find ways to blame Eric Garner for being choked to death and Tamir Rice for being shot to death by police who don't seem to have given him a chance.
It enables violence and, depending on who is doing the victim-blaming and what power they have, often threatens violence.
It isn't much better, when we have survived violence, and we have another story about other violence, and we get told that the other victim must have done something to deserve the violence.
It enables people to dismiss any given victim of an injustice, and thereby to dismiss the very existence of an injustice.
It means that people find ways to blame Eric Garner for being choked to death and Tamir Rice for being shot to death by police who don't seem to have given him a chance.
It enables violence and, depending on who is doing the victim-blaming and what power they have, often threatens violence.