Many years back, I read a book by John H. McWhorter, an African-American professor of linguistics (and conservative) entitled "Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America." It was part of a class on Whiteness in college and it was paired with books by Cornell West and others--giving us a holistic view of race and whiteness as a culture and not just a "value neutral" status quo.
Though I really didn't agree with the majority of the book, it did it's job--made me think about issues regarding race in more nuanced and complex manners. But there was a chapter that has always remained vivid in my memory: "The Cult of Victimology." Recently I've had this phrase continually emerge in my consciousness--especially during the most recent political campaigns--and I think it's time we label and discuss the behavior/tendency.
In McWhorter's book, the cult of victimology refers to a perceived identity problem inherent in Black culture in which victimhood becomes a source of identity and cohesion. McWhorter likens it to a "religion" in its pervasiveness and strength of adherence. The idea is that "victim" as a shared identity trumps individual ambition and achievement.
Although I disagree with the generalization, I do think the concept is intriguing--and relevant. In fact, I used the chapter in a different undergraduate class on genocide to draw comparisons about the ways in which some (especially outsiders) see Jewish culture--as a Cult of Victimology concerning the Holocaust. I suppose, looking back, that I sought to demonstrate that this is not a "black thing" or a "Jewish thing" but rather a "human thing".
I think it's important to distinguish between shared victimhood as a tribute to shared identity and victimhood as an attempt to diffuse responsibility and/or gain moral superiority. I think therein lies the difference--and it's not merely semantics.
The shared histories, for instance, of slavery for African Americans, the Holocaust for Jewish people, the "discovery" of America for Native Americans--are poignant and important. They draw people closer and remind them of their history. They give people a sense of what they have--and can--overcome. They also seek to educate and remind, hopefully to prevent a future repeat of such atrocities. Sharing these horrific pasts can be both powerful and painful--but they are not harmful in and of themselves. Being reminded of and remembering atrocities that your forefathers and foremothers suffered through is not a bad thing--nor does it poison the identities of young people (as McWhorter might argue).
With that said, there are some who obviously try and profit off of the shared historical suffering. Those who try to tie every perceived slight back to a common victimhood. Those who consistently present themselves as morally superior because of a past victimhood. These are the things that can be harmful. But they are most definitely not resigned to (nor most commonly witnessed, I would argue) amongst the groups described above who have legitimate claims to past victimization. No, it seems to me than many of the adherents to the cult of victimology are Tea Partiers--many of whom are white men, ironically the historical "oppressors" of the groups described above.
Case in point--Carl Paladino. I read today that he's "demanding" an apology in this great diary by Jed Lewison. Yes, the poor guy has been made a victim by the media. And then there's the arguments about "reparations" and how Obama's going to enslave (literally or figuratively) whites in order to appease his anti-colonial and anti-white mentality. Then there are the millionaire hedge fund managers who feel slighted by the anti-bailout mentality. THIS is the cult of victimology that McWhorter bemoans as "destroying the Black community." THIS is the poison that is perceived perpetual victimhood. But it's not from the "usual suspects" that conservatives blame. No, it's from the conservatives themselves.
As we wrap up this election cycle in three weeks, we need to fight this cult of victimology--but I think that we need to make sure that we don't partake in a "battle for supreme victimhood" with these people. Yes, there is copious support for the contention that some people have been victimized more than others--assaults on homosexuals in the Bronx? REAL victims. Kids denied health care coverage in AZ? REAL victims. The millions unemployed, impoverished...I could go on (and those are just Americans who are struggling). But it does us no good to devolve into such disagreements as it only serves to bolster the other side's victim complex even more.
So what to do? We need to GOTV. We need to give them a real reason to feel like a victim--by beating their behinds on November 3rd!