My theory on this, as a former victim, is that because they have been psychically wounded due to shunning, silencing, pretending, and incarceration as well as killed throughout history, they believe this state of victimhood gives them license to act in whatever way they wish, including dehumanizing, deplatforming, and even erasing those …
My theory on this, as a former victim, is that because they have been psychically wounded due to shunning, silencing, pretending, and incarceration as well as killed throughout history, they believe this state of victimhood gives them license to act in whatever way they wish, including dehumanizing, deplatforming, and even erasing those who don't agree with every tenet of their beliefs. Current generations "owe" them for poor behavior on the part of past ones. They insist that everyone behave in a way that ensures they will never have to be terrified or excluded ever again.
Also, now that they are allowed to be visible in the commons, they want revenge and for everyone to kiss their ass. It's not enough to simply be respected and treated the way everyone wishes to be and should be treated. They want deference and genuflection as well as reparations if they can get them (in whatever form).
“It's good to be king, and have your own way.” (in the words of the immortal Tom Petty).
I ran into this with the Pagan community years ago. I found Pagans with a 'persecution complex'. They were mostly in New England which is one of the most tolerant parts of the country regarding Paganism, I think at least partly because of the unfortunate Salem witch trials. While anti-Paganism is everywhere (mostly juiced by fundy Christians), they were a helluva lot less persecuted, I think, than the few Ohio Pagans I knew who STFU about what they did and only admitted their beliefs to those they knew wouldn't judge or truly persecute them. Yankee Pagans had to rely more on centuries-old grievances, "how I would be murdered as a witch for speaking my mind in days past," and so forth. They also (and myself as well, in my early Pagan years - baby Pagans are like just-born-again-Christians - a bit insufferable for a little while) really stoked grievances based upon the horrible tortures and methods of execution during 'The Burning Times' which also, let's remember, included other 'heretics' like Jews, Muslims, competing Christian schools of thought and atheists. Boy oh boy did we come to hate men and the Catholic Church for awhile, even if we cut the men today some slack since we've never known any who put a woman to the boot, the strappado, or the stake. Priests were a little harder to forgive just because...you know, the kids.
One of my Medium articles drew a correlation between our ancient grievances as Pagans to the ancient grievances of slavery, which are only a little less ancient (and shorter) than our own. Instead of raking old wounds constantly and pouring lemon juice on them, I argued for both antiracists and Pagans, let's focus on the present and the future, two time periods we *can* change - acknowledge the abuses of the past but don't give them any more cranial real estate than necessary. You can't accomplish much if you keep yourself in a constant state of hostility.
Exactly. Carlos Castaneda said "Our point of power is in the present." And my own: We create what we focus on. As someone who survived child abuse, my journey has been to re-empower myself and move away from victimhood. It's hard, because rage, you know? Not fair, I deserve justice, I'm worth more, my perps should pay. I get it.
If justice is your quest, cool (the royal you, not you you - lol). Knock yourself out. But, I'd rather create really cool sculptural lamps and inject some beauty and colored light into the world. I'd rather be a creature on the planet and have creature experiences. I'd rather love and be a people and hang with other peoples. If I can help people along the way, I definitely will. My nod to the commons. But you are correct - no point in relitigating the past. It's done. All we have is now.
Totally. The weird part is, people reasonably (!) do not wish to be reduced to nothing more than an avatar for some monolithic bloc defined by their race, gender identity, etc- they want to be seen as the individuals they are! Yet many have no qualms claiming the victimhood of others, even some long passed or of no common heritage, as their own, based on those shared but relatively superficial characteristics… like, yes, people who have been victims deserve special allowances compared to those who have victimized them, but the arrangement does not transfer across people and generations…? But you’re right, it feels good. I wrote about my own example on my blog- I’d rather identify with my great x4-grandfather who was an Irish rebel against British oppressors than my great x4-grandfather who owned slaves in the Antebellum south. But the fact is, they’re both my direct ancestors so I have equal claim to both of their accomplishments and faults, but not really much of either- I’m ultimately my own person.
My theory on this, as a former victim, is that because they have been psychically wounded due to shunning, silencing, pretending, and incarceration as well as killed throughout history, they believe this state of victimhood gives them license to act in whatever way they wish, including dehumanizing, deplatforming, and even erasing those who don't agree with every tenet of their beliefs. Current generations "owe" them for poor behavior on the part of past ones. They insist that everyone behave in a way that ensures they will never have to be terrified or excluded ever again.
Also, now that they are allowed to be visible in the commons, they want revenge and for everyone to kiss their ass. It's not enough to simply be respected and treated the way everyone wishes to be and should be treated. They want deference and genuflection as well as reparations if they can get them (in whatever form).
“It's good to be king, and have your own way.” (in the words of the immortal Tom Petty).
I ran into this with the Pagan community years ago. I found Pagans with a 'persecution complex'. They were mostly in New England which is one of the most tolerant parts of the country regarding Paganism, I think at least partly because of the unfortunate Salem witch trials. While anti-Paganism is everywhere (mostly juiced by fundy Christians), they were a helluva lot less persecuted, I think, than the few Ohio Pagans I knew who STFU about what they did and only admitted their beliefs to those they knew wouldn't judge or truly persecute them. Yankee Pagans had to rely more on centuries-old grievances, "how I would be murdered as a witch for speaking my mind in days past," and so forth. They also (and myself as well, in my early Pagan years - baby Pagans are like just-born-again-Christians - a bit insufferable for a little while) really stoked grievances based upon the horrible tortures and methods of execution during 'The Burning Times' which also, let's remember, included other 'heretics' like Jews, Muslims, competing Christian schools of thought and atheists. Boy oh boy did we come to hate men and the Catholic Church for awhile, even if we cut the men today some slack since we've never known any who put a woman to the boot, the strappado, or the stake. Priests were a little harder to forgive just because...you know, the kids.
One of my Medium articles drew a correlation between our ancient grievances as Pagans to the ancient grievances of slavery, which are only a little less ancient (and shorter) than our own. Instead of raking old wounds constantly and pouring lemon juice on them, I argued for both antiracists and Pagans, let's focus on the present and the future, two time periods we *can* change - acknowledge the abuses of the past but don't give them any more cranial real estate than necessary. You can't accomplish much if you keep yourself in a constant state of hostility.
Exactly. Carlos Castaneda said "Our point of power is in the present." And my own: We create what we focus on. As someone who survived child abuse, my journey has been to re-empower myself and move away from victimhood. It's hard, because rage, you know? Not fair, I deserve justice, I'm worth more, my perps should pay. I get it.
If justice is your quest, cool (the royal you, not you you - lol). Knock yourself out. But, I'd rather create really cool sculptural lamps and inject some beauty and colored light into the world. I'd rather be a creature on the planet and have creature experiences. I'd rather love and be a people and hang with other peoples. If I can help people along the way, I definitely will. My nod to the commons. But you are correct - no point in relitigating the past. It's done. All we have is now.
Totally. The weird part is, people reasonably (!) do not wish to be reduced to nothing more than an avatar for some monolithic bloc defined by their race, gender identity, etc- they want to be seen as the individuals they are! Yet many have no qualms claiming the victimhood of others, even some long passed or of no common heritage, as their own, based on those shared but relatively superficial characteristics… like, yes, people who have been victims deserve special allowances compared to those who have victimized them, but the arrangement does not transfer across people and generations…? But you’re right, it feels good. I wrote about my own example on my blog- I’d rather identify with my great x4-grandfather who was an Irish rebel against British oppressors than my great x4-grandfather who owned slaves in the Antebellum south. But the fact is, they’re both my direct ancestors so I have equal claim to both of their accomplishments and faults, but not really much of either- I’m ultimately my own person.