When Should We Blame the Victim?

by Mark Spiran

Don't blame the victim for being an idiot.

A guy named Tom I met once at a party in Boston was moaning about getting mugged for the fourth time.

Four times! How could he be so unlucky, I wondered.

Where did it happen? The Boston Common. In fact, that's where all his muggings happened.

Weird, I go there often and I've never been mugged. What time of day was it?

Two o'clock in the morning.

Hmm.

Now I could appreciate his effort to take back the night. That is I could if he were actually doing anything except satisfy the midnight muggers in the park.

This is a true story. I know it's hard to believe anyone could be so stupid. In fact, some would say he had a need to be mugged, or he wouldn't keep setting himself up for it.

Now change him into a woman, and the mugging into rape, and you have today's typical female victim.

Oh horrors, how politically incorrect to suggest such an idea.

I know. But there it is.

We would all love for the whole city to be safe at every hour for everyone. But only an idiot or a feminist would think that legislation can totally regulate the brutal nature of reality.

So yes, I blame Tom. He has a serious problem. His moaning is continuous, and no legislation will ever solve it.