Victimhood abounds. But victims can readily become victimizers. Where to draw the line in proclaiming grievances and demanding redress is difficult and can aggravate our fraught political condition.
Because government policy is filled with trade-offs, it's always possible to be in a group that feels others are getting a better deal. Currently, the move to forgive student debt is a perfect example. Those who oppose it, rather than see it as help for the victims of a broken education and loan system, paint themselves as victims because they paid off loans and so aren't receiving the benefit. As you say in your excellent penultimate paragraph, it's all about seeing the larger picture and respecting our common humanity.
Yeah!! Joe, are you involved in creating those circumstances? Mary Buchbinder
This is a most thoughtful article on a complex subject.
A fine effort to weave carefully among numerous potential minefields of misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and ideological advocacy.
Very good but please don't keep us waiting this long.
Because government policy is filled with trade-offs, it's always possible to be in a group that feels others are getting a better deal. Currently, the move to forgive student debt is a perfect example. Those who oppose it, rather than see it as help for the victims of a broken education and loan system, paint themselves as victims because they paid off loans and so aren't receiving the benefit. As you say in your excellent penultimate paragraph, it's all about seeing the larger picture and respecting our common humanity.