the fixation on "blame"

[low_delta]

What is it with people? Why do they have to blame? Why do they feel a need to find the person responsible for things that happen?

And the part that angers me is that people equate finding the reasons behind an occurrence with affixing blame.

I've seen it over and over, and as expected it has reappeared.

You say something like, "we need to keep this from happening again. America's policies are wrong and maybe if we change them, attacks like this will be less likely." and immediately someone jumps on you and screams that, "this isn't our fault! You're a godless commie pig and you should be shot for insinuating that anyone besides those ragheads did this." Or at best, "You damn liberals don't understand anything about personal responsibility. Bin Laden did this. Not us. We didn't hijack any planes. Next you'll say it is his parent's fault for not raising him right."

But they're missing the point. We don't need to affix blame. We only need to do our part to make sure the mistakes don't happen again.

Comments

[sunshine-two.livejournal.com]

I think it has to do with closure. When a loved one is murdered... they want justice, and closure for the act.

If it's left up in the air, and the guilty party is never found... the remaining loved ones never quite feel like it's been finished.

Just my two cents worth ;)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I think there is more to it than that. What does blame have to do with closure? They want to end their suffering by affixing a cause. And they can't include themselves in that cause, so they refuse to accept their own part in it all.

But if they'd just understand that blame is unneccesary, they wouldn't have to worry about that.

[sunshine-two.livejournal.com]

I guess I tend to generalize alot in my thinking. Blame is only a word. To me it's being held accountable, or responsible for your actions. Blame is a negative word... so it tends to be attached to negative actions.

Wow, you're quite a profound thinker low delta!

:)

[serendipity.livejournal.com]

Some people need to affix blame. Some need to seek revenge. Some need to try to prevent more tragedy. Some need to deal first with the results of this tragedy.

I still think that those who attack you or any of us for beliefs are simply misdirecting their anger. And that isn't going to do any of us or our country any good whatsoever.

But right now I've got a singing 6-year-old in my face and what *I* need most of all is to ensure that she keeps singing happily. I don't want her to be taught to hate any group of people - be it ethnic, religious, political, or otherwise. I want her to learn how to express herself positively and to listen, really listen to others' viewpoints. Our future is ultimately in her hands and in the hands of our youth. How this is affecting their collective psyche is my current focus. And what she wants right now is to play the piano, so off I go.