To Escape Blame (Responsibility) Be A Victim: Scott Brown, Are You Listening?

SAW THIS LINK ON INSTAPUNDIT @ PAJAMAS, and thought it noteworthy.

Bottom line is that anyone can mitigate self-responsibility by playing the victim card---the harder, the better. Somehow, it softens the adult, painful reality of taking any responsibility for the circumstances of our lives and best of all buys us a good deal of sympathy and often a free pass across the board. Please don't get me wrong: bad things happen to all of us seemingly randomly, frequently without warning. When bad things happen to us, we all, ALL, need to give and receive compassion and a helping hand.

But do we mistake receiving compassion for a sense of being exonerated of any and all responsibility? Often the answer is yes. Do we as adults really look at the unfortunate events of our lives without taking even an iota of responsibility, especially when our offender is often more in the wrong than we are?

It's interesting that the article goes on to say people who are the most heroic and responsible in their everyday lives are often considered the worst offenders when misfortune falls than the perpetually weak who are given a wider berth and free pass.

Being an unresponsible victim is often cultivated over time and may seem like a rather productive way of life to those who have found its benefits. However in the larger scheme, it stunts our growth to maturity and distorts clear and cognitive thinking about ourselves and the real world in which we live.

This week alone in the news, we have several examples of people playing the I was a victim at the hands of predators: card. Sen. Scott Brown is the best example I see from dozens of others. Controversial and up for election next year, Brown comes out with his admission he was sexually abused/assaulted as a teenager at a summer camp. While this may undoubtedly be true and unfortunate, I have to wonder why in the world he is revealing this now, shortly before he begins his re-election campaign.

I admit I sent money to Brown in his first bid for the late Ted Kennedy's senate seat and was glad he won as a 'conservative.' However, he lost me very soon after when he crossed the aisle and voted for Obamacare. There were other things about the senator that bothered me also to the point that I would never send him a dime again. And nothing he can do or no abuse he may have taken as a 10-year old can change that.

Still for some unknown reason, I suppose this revelation will garner this man some lost votes, especially among women. I am highly suspicious of his motives, his timing and especially his unwillingness to answer questions.

There are other victims of the week I could highlight, but my life off-line calls and so I think I'll leave it at that.