The following article by Mr. Mario Dumont, published today in the Journal de Montréal, is a thoughtful piece. In Bambi’s mind, this sad story about the author of Ms. J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, is yet another example of the collective craziness of our times.
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/06/13/le-culte-de-la-victime
What Mr. Dumont is describing in his article Bambi has always called it since her younger years “une victimite aiguë”. In English, “acute victimitis” (a sort of an inflammatory victimhood response, if you want): I am a victim therefore I am. Poor me, I am a victim. I am more of a victim than you are, etc.
A cult and a competition of victimhood among “victimized” groups. “Yalla” (= Come on in Arabic), who is going to earn a higher grade of victimhood as people, as a “group”, as a cause, etc.?
Please make no mistake, Bambi is saying this with all due respect to all causes in life. Yet, she denounces this unhealthy mindset for herself, to begin with, that is in her personal life. This would apply to her personal life and to any group she may be part of/perceived as being part of.
Yes, sometimes we are truly a victim of our times, of situation, of a tragedy, of part of history, or of a geopolitical reality for a given country.
For instance, we do not choose our birth country, as Bambi’s wise mom once said. It is what it is. We live with it (she was talking about Lebanon with its serious issues).
However, Bambi has always refused to see herself as a victim in life. When we fall into this trap, we remove our personal responsibility (role) from our misery. We have a brain and we can make decisions in life on how to avoid risky situations or how to cope (before, during, and after misery).
Of course, it is tough at times. Thankfully, people can rely on family and social support.
In other terms, there is something called dignity and resilience in life. We can all ultimately find or re-connect with our inner strength to transform ourselves and our lives. This is how we see people around us turning challenges (or even tragedies) into something positive for them or for humanity. They grow though adversity. They refuse to remain stuck in it. One example could be to tell oneself: Never again to me and to others. So, we treat others with the same respect we would like them to treat us with, as persons and as groups.
Plus, when we are in the mindset of “I am a poor victim”, we are in the same game or dance of power abuse. Without wanting to, we can at times become the abuser/bullies in the future. Yes, narcissism can breed narcissism. Violence can surely breed violence. No one is immune in life.
Ask anyone who went through adversity like growing up in domestic violence or in a civil war, he/she would know about the danger of such a mindset (not just Bambi). Even deer can fall into this “acute victimhood” mindset, not just humans.
No group is holy, so to speak, but ALL groups (of deer or human beings) deserve RESPECT.
Who hasn’t been a (true) victim throughout history or in one situation in a personal lifetime? Who isn’t a victim somewhere (nearby or as far as the Middle or even Far East) right now, as we speak? It is called power relations in life. The best antidote to it is a simple ingredient, that is free-of-charge, thankfully: Self-respect/respect of others.
Anyhow, the story of Ms. J.K. Rowling, which is the focus of Mr. Dumont’s article is just one example of a dangerous and ridiculous (both) societal phenomenon we have been observing for a few years now (in the UK, here as well, and elsewhere in our world).
Is this what a radical left look like? If so, it is no longer the left that Bambi grew up knowing, respecting, embracing, and once even voting for (that centre left, this social-democratic left that is genuinely concerned about workers, about people, a left that has wanted to build a better world, no to destroy it and destroying its symbols like all those monuments, etc. Is this still the Western’s world or are we in Afghanistan destroying monuments?). She does not recognize herself in this so-called “left” anymore, although she is still herself and with the same values. Is it because she is older (hopefully wiser ?) or because this is too radical or too dumb? Perhaps both.
Enough of Bambi’s blahblahblah and here is a translation of Mr. Dumont’s article:
“J.K. Rowling is an admirable woman. Penniless, at a time when life seemed to give her little chance, she bravely got down to writing. She invented characters, including Harry Potter, and a wonderful story. Today, we compare its wealth with that of the Queen of England.
She didn’t steal anything. Her miracle of literature and cinema comes from her imagination and the determination of her fingers. Pure success. Without the contacts in politics and high finance, just the success of the person who makes a great offer and finds so many takers.
The week she has just spent reveals a lot about our time. Ms. Rowling found herself at the centre of worldwide controversy.
If you’ve only read the headlines, you may think that she attacked transgender people and is guilty of shameful discrimination.
The indictment
All this is a hoax. Her crime consists in having commented on a text which said “people who are menstruating”. She made a joke that maybe you could call it a “woman.”
She didn’t attack anyone or disparage anyone. It would have departed from the linguistic diktats of the left and it is paying the price. She sinned and would have made “victims”. She must atone for her fault.
The most interesting thing is the angle she chose to defend herself. In the midst of the storm, J.K. Rowling reveals that she was the victim of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Well. I used to find the decision to publicly disclose such a tragedy about her privacy to be courageous. Many have done so to free themselves, to change things, to do justice.
But how do you react to a person’s decision to expose the abuse they suffered to the public in order to get out of another controversy? Discomfort? Uncomfortable?
In 2020
It sounds like we hear her PR specialists say, “The world is so crazy in 2020, you can’t get out of it. The only way out would be for you to be a victim yourself. You should present yourself as the victim of something even bigger. “
And we imagine her revealing with fragility the sad elements of her personal life to these image pros. And we can still imagine them saying: “Yes, yes, yes, it’s perfect! Victim of domestic violence, victim of sexual assault! Great modern causes! With that, you get through! “I invent, but…
I have respect for all the suffering that must find listening and comfort. I have respect for defending the causes that generate this suffering. I’m sorry, but I give up in front of one-upmanship [surenchère in French] of the notion of victim.
The J.K. Rowling episode is pathetic. Get out of a false controversy by placing yourself in the position of the biggest victim yet. This heightening of the notion of victim ends up trivializing the causes.”
