To quote Tyra Banks "You don't know where the hell I come from, you have no idea what I've been through, but I'm not a victim, I grow from it and I learn. Take responsibility for yourself."
You don't know who the hell I am, either. Although, if I wasn't trying to impersonate Tyra to make a point , I would have said it in a nicer way. You know, not act like the fact that someone doesn't know who I am means I dislike them or something. No one knows who anybody is, pretty much. Doesn't mean we have to yell at each other by saying "hey, jerk, you don't know who I am, therefore, you're a terrible person!"
Victim: "A person who has come to feel helpless and passive in the face of misfortune or ill-treatment.” - Oxford Dictionary It is when you become “helpless and passive”, not when you have some problems and you express it to others to help look for a solution.
Well, being unwilling to take responsibility for bad actions you do with the argument that you're overall oppressed, that actually is on the road to being helpless. Passive as well, in that you're not facing anything bad that you do, because you have an excuse for it. And we could debate all of that. But there's a deeper issue, here. That we think we can solve this issue by mere semantics, just by talking about the definition of being a victim. At best, we'll find that one person used the word "victim" in the wrong way, but that's not really talking about the issue at hand. Whether one thing or another fits with the word "victim" or not, there will still be disagreements about what is appropriate behavior, how much leeway should a person in a protected group get, how much responsibility should they have, etc -- and that's important because that was what the people who talk about "the victim card" were referring to in the first place, whether or not victim is your preferred word choice. Trying to solve this with definitions misses the real point and focuses more on semantics.
SO how can you talk about injustice without being a victim? You dont have to be a victim personally. You can be informed about injustice. You can know someone who is a victim. There is more to live then just the first person perspective. Also victimhood automatically asumes a perpetrator.
Good comment. I'm labeled a "minority" and supposedly I am a victim of injustice. What injustice? I was never a slave, as an Indian I never had land taken from me, nor was I mistreated by anyone. So why would the liberals label me "minority"? It's arrogant and condescending but worst of all it's separation from the rest of society as being in need of special help because of my ethnicity. Sad... I'm can be a victim of a robbery, a car wreck, but not of society because I make my own way and don't need the help of laws, affirmative action or all the other schemes the liberals have come up with to have power over me.
Exactly, I'm a "minority" and I've faced some racism and many others do everyday but that doesn't mean our society has an epidemic or that the system is discriminating certain groups. This video asks for a discussion but it seem like it doesn't really want to have a debate with the opposing views, if they commented with the comment section of the video that would be interesting but it doesn't like seem that will happen, We'll just have to wait and see if that will change later on. They don't really seem to be bringing up any points from other views so they create an "Us Vs Them" mentality but only keep to there ideas which develop into ideologies that seem like reality to them but they don't actually have concrete proof of injustice. Of course its going to seem like an unwarranted victim card because all they did was gather up solely with people that agree with them and not bring any concrete proof of the system discriminating certain groups. I was open to see if they had any logical premises but I didn't see any which is unfortunate because now I'm just hearing about all these injustices but there are no logical premises to lead me to them and so there's nothing for us to fix, all I see is a bunch of ideology based feelings and no logical solutions except to tell them that there is no problem and that they aren't victims.
Sandy Vee We really value your thoughts and that's an interesting point of view. However, I have a question: how would you go about fixing something like the wage gap? Objective labor statistics show that women make .80 cents for every $1.00 that men do for the same work. Historically speaking, these kinds of equal rights were earned by people speaking out and protesting against it, but are you saying instead that we should just wait around for the problem to solve itself?
thijsjong very true! Being an ally is an extremely important role in fighting discrimination. While it certainly is logical to assume a perpetrator, I think the point of this series is to show that we all have biases and judgements no matter what race, gender, age, sexuality, etc that you are. Only by representing the human impact can we start to recognize how these things show up in our society. People can be both a "victim" and a "perpetrator" at different times in life, but by recognizing that fact we can move forward into a more complex conversation about prejudice.
First the need for these topics discussion need to be expressed. I think we need to tackle things one topic at a time. You mentioned the wage gap. As an example. In this case we need to get economists involved into the discussion. I cant find any statistics that are detailed enough to home in on the source of inequality. We need to formulate problems into practical questions like. Why is the work of a woman valued x% less then that of men? Where I live most human resource managers are women. (but this is different in other countries) I found wagegap differs from region to region (Im Dutch) in Europe. And differs from temp jobs to fixed jobs. Occupations. In some cases the wagegap was negative. I just looked at a eurostat breakdown by the way. In this case sociology need good statistics to make sound statements. And statistics in this case without an understanding of economics and sociology is without merrit.
in middle school my friends and I were all severely bullied. so once we hit high school we decided that we weren't going to be pushed around and banded together against it. if one of us got bullied the rest made sure that bully wouldn't ever do that again. our methods weren't the best, but I think the idea was good. we have to see each other's pain and stand up for each other.
I'm sorry - you are only a victim if you let yourself be. I was born on a reservation in North Dakota. My parents taught me to take care of myself. It' sad that these people need approval from me and they don't even know me. I'm labeled a "minority" by the government and it's not only degrading, it's arrogant. I don't need their help and I don't need to be segregated into a box labeled by them. I worked my way through college, started a business and have been successful without the help of taxpayers or others. I didn't find injustice, I found people that did not like me and with that said there was nothing I could do about it so I just chose to get on with my life. Work hard, play fair, treat people with respect and enjoy your own life. Victims are only victims if they believe they are and too often the government and the media like to separate us using the race card, woman card, rich/poor card, and other things that let people grow more and more dependent on the law and government to make them equal when in fact that never works.
fade1 -Typical liberal - everyone else is to blame for your problems and those of the "under privileged". Then you add name calling which is childish and bigoted. I was able to afford it because I WORKED from grade school (picking berries, yard work, babysitting etc.) and then I worked part time in high school and I got good enough grades to get some scholarship money. Our school weren't that great but hey you get back what you put into something and I studied hard. African Americans don't have the same chance as I did? Really? If that is so then who is responsible for their plight? That would be the liberals who placed them on the government plantations in the inner cities and left then there for votes without ever admitting that their social engineering was a compete and utter failure. Please tell me exactly what the "social injustices" were? I'd be interested in how you got to that conclusion. All people of this country have worked, paid taxes and paid for most of the "victims" you are describing yet they still haven't excelled even after getting minority status, special college placements, special everything because of their "skin color" and because far back in our history there were slave owners..... At least they didn't get shuffled from reservation to reservation because the land was valuable and the government wants it. You really need to look up the definition of "VICTIM" because you haven't got a clue. The fact is the citizens of this country have worked to provide education, food, housing and everything else so the they can excel and still they do not... so I would think the taxpayers are the "slaves" and have been used by the government.
So typical liberal - add insulting name calling. I was able to go to college because I worked picking fruit and doing yard work when I was in grade school. When in high school I worked part time at a local restaurant and babysat. I save all the money I could and my parents worked to help me get grades good enough to get two scholarships. I also worked while attending college. I know that's hard for young people today to believe, but some people still have enough pride to not live off taxpayers and snivel and whine about every little perceived injustice that comes along. African Americans had it worse than me? How so? If the do it's because they have accepted the social engineering schemes put forth by liberals how place them in the inner cities without good schools, little or no role models and the live on the government plantation at the expense of working Americans in this country. I suggest you visit a couple of the reservations in North and South Dakota and then maybe up by Flagstaff and come back and tell me that Black have it worse. You are a child if you believe the crap the liberals dish out. Everyone can get out of poverty, there is always help for them, they just need to work harder and smarter. How do you explain people that have gotten out of poverty via education? So are you saying African Americans aren't capable of making it on their own? What social injustice was heaped on them? I remember history and from the 1960's on they were given every opportunity to make a life for themselves. Since that time poverty and unemployment and double, tripled and still increases and you believe social engineering is the answer and that they are 'victims'? I would say the victims here are the taxpayers that have paid and paid and paid for all this without very many good results except an increase in crime, drugs, unwed parents, under education children, and ghettos in the inner cities. So bigot and name caller - what is "social injustice"? I have many Black friends and some that work for me and they are wonderful education people and we all came from poverty and pretty much the same backgrounds.
iaytoao I agree. And wwhenever these idiots always label us as "liberals" like it's an insult lmao. You know not to respond to someone who replies with "liberal" because they're most likely immature and stupid.
***** Who are the stupid ones. The ones who insult people for their opinions and don't want to hear them or a guy labeling you for what you are a liberal. And I don't mean classic liberals I mean liberals who want to enforce cultural appropriation laws and want there to be 65 thousand genders.
So you pulled yourself out of a circumstand congrats, but many children are born into violence environments and poor education. Many would be considered a victim. In fact there is nothing wrong with being a victim as long as you pick yourself back up. Every person on this planet has been a victim in some time of their life. Victimhood is a way to silence someone from sharing an experience of injustice.
These negative comments are so melodramatic. I personally liked this episode, and I loved the idea of strangers sitting down and having a mindful conversation.
I notice that people who accuse others of playing the victim card are usually not nice people. They lack compassion and empathy across the board. I really don't like those people.
@@richym3899 Example: A person that has been raped and states that they are still hurting form the incident should not be told that they're playing the victim. People that say those types of people are playing the victim are usually not nice people.
sierrarashaan what a disingenuous response. When people disparage the “victim card” it usually is along the lines of “wah wah 😭 I’m [insert whatever physical characteristic] that’s why my life is so hard; wah”
Richy M you’re absolutely right when you say usually. I told my Dad about me being molested and raped from 3yrs old until I turned 18 and that I felt he and my mom didn’t love me during my childhood. His response was “ Oh so I guess you’re the victim now. “ I don’t feel like that was an appropriate response from a father hearing this for his 1st time.
My answer to the ending question would be that you should keep a small, healthy amount of skepticism for all sides and see if facts that you've researched reflect the premises made by all the views you've seen. You would need to see all sides and viewpoints of a problem to find the best solution to the problem, if there is a problem.
SoulPancake Thank you, I glad so you guys responded to me. I think making a livestream about these topics or getting people with opposing views to give their thoughts on the series would be interesting because although you have a diversity of people, I don't think there is a diversity of ideas. The premises made don't seem to back up to much. The start of a discussion is great but the representation of sides and ideas is something I think could be better.
+AN Analyzer of course! We're totally here to talk about this stuff and the livestream is a great idea and maybe something we can incorporate while filming in the future. We've always been a channel that stood for having conversations about life's big questions, and sometimes those conversations get emotional. We're not afraid of that and we do what we can to honestly represent people's point of view who agree to be part of the series -- which actually takes a lot of courage. While they might not be social scientists proving everything they say with a litany of facts and figures, we think there's an important pattern of experiences they are describing that's worth having a conversation about. Thank you for being part of the community.
Hehe, whoever is typing the comments for soulpancake, you should be in the video, because you seem nicer and fairer than a lot of people in the actual videos :)
Born into this world. Taught rules about life, without being able to question them. What if- What you were taught to believe is incorrect? What if your belief was challenged?? To be a victim means you accept everything you've been taught as truth, is it?
The thing is why people don’t want to talk about it is because you complain and nag if someone doesn’t agree with you. You call them racist or sexist just because they don’t have the same ideas of you.
I'm not really sure why I feel compelled to say this, but whatever. I have a lot of rare diseases, so instead of saying "I have(example here)" I like to say "I am fixing (example here)" It just makes me feel better, lighter, really. Not that I feel in any way bad, it's just a kind of boost of energy, if you will.
Here is the lesson: Treat people with respect, impartially, and kindness. Learn to stop placing judgment over appearences. That's it. Stop making this complicated people, whether they are victimizing themselves or not -- just learn to listen to other people's perception and do your best to understand it without dismissing their issues.
It's so dumb when. People say you don't know so you can't talk about it, you dont have to have died in ww2 to understand the devestation and horrors of that war
There's many willing to talk, it's trying to get the narrow-minded and the those in denial to actually listen. That's the main problem. The ones who cry about 'sjws' and scream out, "i have problems, too!"... no one said you didn't have problems.
Dialogue is pointless in a day and age when it's socially unacceptable nowadays to feel that something is offensive, or hurtful or ignorant. It's pointless when you raise a sensible point about culture and society and get called a Social Justice Worker, or a Loony Libtard, or an idiot, or stupid liberal or get attacked because you have more humanity than some other people do, you care more about other people than some others do, and you want to help people that feel lesser to become something more. I'd love dialogue, but people need to listen to dialogue. People aren't just ignorant, they're not just in denial, they're comfortable in their denial and they don't want to hear anything else. So, when we see things like this and affirm our opinions and we spend a nice amount of time agreeing with each other, we also end up, surrounding ourselves with our own beliefs. So that when we see things like Brexit and Trump, we think it's coming out the blue but it's not. Sure, it's not being expressed by the people in denial, but it's definitely out there. So, I don't see how we can fix this. Either we get dialogue or we keep this ignorance, but we're not going to be able to get it right now. That's my opinion.
You're totally right. Dialogue requires listening. Without listening, there is no opportunity for understanding, agreeing to disagree, or communication really... it is simply just a collection of simultaneous individual monologues and the majority (the loudest one) wins
I am a victim of racial profiling. I hate it when I enter a store and there is a security guard there. Many times they will watch me and sometimes follow me. Just because I am black does not men I shoplift and steal from stores.
I love this series. I watched all the videos. I wish there are native americans/amerindians, pacific islanders, and also whites. Also, I wish the LGBTQ will have a separate video each letter 'cause I know there are alot of stories and experiences from each. Looking forward to the next season!
This is BS, this pisses me off, because in the end, its always blamed on someone else. Its a giant circle, and to yell out at people, makes you just as bad. Everyone is victim in this world, live with it. Remember, this is my opinion.
If you want to be a victim you are a victim (I am arab canadian and muslim) Women really love to use that card it’s really hard to work and take care of the children its so saad juste stay in the house or stop whining
I’m Costa Rican nicaraguan spaniard Mexican German etc. my father came from Costa Rica my mom was born in America I’m half Hispanic half Caucasian and most people call me a white boy even though I Hispanic.they’ll say then speak Spanish and they say u speak it weird I’m just like not every country has the same accent.i just wish schools would have conversation days were we address issues like this.
Can you do one of breast. I went out to a club with my friends a guy came up to me to ask if we can dance? But following that question he asked "1st I need to know if you're a woman cause you have no boobs" I was like excuse me ?? I felt hurt, upset, angry, disappointed, embarrassed and lower self esteem. I broke down in the restroom. I'm a woman with really small boobs and already feel self conscious about it and some dude come to me and asks me. 🙁😔
"It's hard" "Understand my view." "Feelings" The victim card is when you bottle down, you've already given up and you allow that to happen. Pity is better than respect. So complain about it. You want a hole, you got it. Keep the victim narrative, just don't assume I need to pity you because of a negative experience. Guess what, everyone has it. No matter your class, races, gender. We are all bullied. Why? Because we are all bullies. That's reality,
It is difficult to not play the victim card initially when the wounds are fresh and bleeding. But gradually one either learns to accept or manipulate ( Denial)oneself.
I would love to do something like this. Not just like this video. Just sitting in one of those chairs just vibing with a stranger. Contact me. I am with this. Awesome vids
oppression isn't always visible or obvious, especially on a day-to-day basis in somewhere like the US or Canada. It's in the microagressions and the passive aggressive behaviour each of them experience daily. Maybe you've never experienced anything like that, idk, but if you haven't consider yourself blessed. (I don't necessarily want to use the term "privileged" cause that can be a loaded term) but the point of this entire series is to expose the shared experiences of certain groups of people living in a country that is ostensibly liberal/progressive, but inherently prejudiced.
