Oh really?

I've written before about a phrase that really bothers me -- "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Most often, it's spoken of a crime victim. What's irritating about the phrase to me is that it places the blame on the victim. If I'm in a bank making a deposit, and a robber comes in and shoots me, the reporter will say, "Essie May was in the wrong place at the wrong time." No, she wasn't! Essie May was in the right place to conduct her business during regular business hours.

I came across an old newspaper article that takes this phrase to new heights of stupidity. James Broadnax and his cousin killed two men while they were robbing them. Mr. Broadnax said of his victims, "They were in the wrong spot at the wrong [expletive] time. They should have had their [expletive] at home." The victims were in the parking lot outside their business. According to Mr. Broadnax, anytime you leave your house, it's your fault if you are assaulted. You should have had your [expletive] at home!

Another phrase that bothers me comes from the ACLU. I heard on the news this morning that one of the metroplex cities is considering a daytime curfew for teenagers. The ACLU says this move will "turn law-abiding teenagers into lawbreakers." Not if they don't break the law! That's like saying, "The state has turned me into a lawbreaker because they refuse to raise the speed limit to 80 mph." The only one who can turn me into a lawbreaker is me. I may not like the laws, but I control whether or not I will abide by them or break them.

The whole thing boils down to personal responsbility -- the criminal is responsible for his conduct; not the victim, not society, not the government, and not circumstances.

"Suspects say killings netted them 'just $2.'" The Dallas Morning News; June 24, 2008; p. 1B.