Victimology

Punish Me, Part 1.

I recall seeing a telling incident caught on tape by a documenter of 9/11 and its aftermath.

A day or two or three after the attacks, two impromptu rallies developed in Union Square, Manhattan.

One was meant as a spontaneous morale-boosting, patriotic display of pride and defiance of the enemy. Its main spokesman was a simple man I'll call "blue-collar guy", who had been shaken from working to recover bodies at Ground Zero.

The other rally, led by a young, hip, well-educated urban black woman with attitude, whom I'll call "Marxist chick", was in essence a reveling in the concept of "you had it coming, whitey."

Note, in passing, the lack of identification with the country as a whole by Marxist Chick. But don't question her patriotism!

Obviously these two rallies were going to come into some conflict.

Some shouting developed.

How was it resolved?

Did the patriots run off the disloyal scoundrels?

No.

Blue-Collar Guy was not as articulate as Marxist Chick. He hadn't spent a lifetime memorizing talking points. His rally had been instinctual, and a necessary balm for the work yet left to be done.

Marxist Chick and her people firmly pronounced his guilt.

And who can disagree with an angry black women crying "racism!" without being branded a racist?

In the end, Blue-Collar Guy was forced to disavow any feelings of anger at an external enemy, and was reduced to admitting that yes, Marxist Chick had a point; she and her people had been Victims.

This gave them moral authority.

And he was sorry, and felt her pain.

And, having to do the hard work at Ground Zero, he admitted he was just a Victim too, like everyone else, but of another sort.

Not a Hero, rallying in defiance of an enemy attack.

But just another class of Victim, in a hierarchy of Victims -- and somewhat lower on the totem pole than Marxist Chick.

For there were no real outside enemies -- just various oppressors within our own culture.

Now with Blue-Collar Guy emasculated and accepted into the social fold, the confrontation ended with "can't we Victims all just get along?" and hugs all around.

In the end, Blue-Collar Guy loved Big Brother.

We can't keep falling for this.