Victim- Blaming - Assignment Example

Essay Writing: Blaming the Victims Blaming the Victims To, The Media and Related Guilty Persons, RE: STOP VICTIMISING THE VICTIMVictim blaming is a phenomenon that did not start today, it is something that has been with us for long. The difference is the severity or the frequency of such cases today. This crime is committed by thugs, rogue police officers or just the racists that are walking loose in the society. In the modern west, two approaches have dominated the way victimization is looked at with one approach being finger pointing at the victim (Zur).

Reasons why people point accusing fingers at the victim varies but some may be to justify their actions. Of the many cases that have attracted the attention nationally and on social media are the latest trends of police officers shooting dead blacks in America beginning with the recent coverage of the shooting case of Mike Brown in Missouri to Walter Scot in South Carolina (BBC, 2015).In all cases, the media was full of outrage from the subscribers, some of whom condemn the acts while others question the actions of the victims leading to their shooting.

Media on the other hand instead of playing neutral, have always portrayed bias in reporting (being black). “In the aftermath of deaths like these, the media scrutiny almost reflexively falls on the victims rather than the police, especially if the former come from a poor or minority neighborhood” (Alterman & Richardson, 2014). Sadly, even the New York Times referring to the case on Mike Brown, was quick to ask if the victim brought it on himself or if his upbringing or family suggest the police somehow could not be blamed (Alterman & Richardson, 2014).

Social media was full with arguments and counter arguments for the cases. Some were reading racial hatred while others read arrogance on the side of the victim. Other social media users questioned if there was bad motive for the systematic murdering of the blacks by the white police officers.Whatever the case, my viewpoint is that the constitution guarantees the right to life for every American citizen whether black, Hispanic, white or whichever color. In fact this right to life is guaranteed by every country’s constitution worldwide.

Nobody regardless of your position in the society should be allowed to take that right from anybody. For these cases of police shooting, one is left wondering whether the due process was followed especially when a police officer fires 8 shots at unarmed civilian running away from the police. One is left wondering if the motive was to enforce the law or to kill. In fact the statistics show that police officers kill black males at a rate 21 times greater than whites. Whatever the reason at this stage matters less, because no law allows the killing of suspects without trial.

My appeal therefore, is that we should come as a people to say enough is enough and speak against this developing character of blaming the victims instead of offering them, if alive, or otherwise, their families, condolences and comfort in such trying and traumatizing moments. These people are brothers, sisters, fathers or even uncles to other people who are their dependents directly or indirectly. Let’s condemn victimization of the victims and prevent having victims of any kind in future.STOP VICTIMISING THE VICTIM Blaming the victims will only contribute to the already painful situation.

Nobody deserves to be felled by the bullet from the gun of a person he entrusts with his life for security.Police officer killing a civilian should never be justified.There is always a way to handle such situations without exposing anybody to such brutality and then blaming such a victimA traumatized widow mourning the loss of a husband to police brutality another incident of army destroying a whole village in the name of tracking down terrorists. The other side of the story never sees light of the day but only such thing like” they brought it on themselves”.

lets stop this.References Alterman, E., & Richardson, R. (2014, December 2nd). Blaming the victim, excusing the powerful: What real institutional Media Bias loos Like. Retrieved April 8th, 2015, from The Nation: http://m.thenation.com/blog/191809-blaming-victim-excusing-powerful-what-real-institutional-media-bias-looksBBC. (2015, April 8th). South Carolina police charged after black man shot dead. Retrieved April 8th, 2015, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32213482Zur, O. (n.d.). Re-thinking "Dont blamethe Victim".

Retrieved April 8th, 2015, from Zur Institute: http://www.zurinstitute.com/victimhood.html