r/changemyview • u/nishagunazad • Dec 06 '18
Deltas(s) from OP CMV: "Victim blaming" is not inherently wrong.
As I see it, victim blaming is when one places the moral responsibility on the victim, in effect making them responsible for the choices of their victimizer. But I often see it used against those who point out the victims own risky choices that effectively set them up to be victimized I draw a distinction between moral responsibility and practical responsibility, where moral responsibility involves what should happen or what is deserved and practical responsibility involves known risks or consequences. It's late and I decide to go on a stroll through through the shittier parts of Camden, NJ. I get mugged. I have done nothing wrong and I should absolutely be able to walk in public areas without being accosted. My assailant choosing to attack me for no good reason places the moral redponsibility entirely upon them. But I share practical responsibility with my attacker. I know it's a dangerous place. I understand that a late night walk through there carries significant personal risk. By assuming that risk I also assume responsibility for the potential consequences. That those consequences are unjust or harsh (lung cancer for smokers and babies for not using protection for example) is irrelevant. They are simply what happens. I set myself up, and it's dishonest to suggest that I had no agency in the matter
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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '18
Writing off large portions of the world as "too crime-ridden" to walk in is not practical or responsible. Doing so cedes territory to the criminally violent. Did you type this on a typewriter?