Of course not, and I think you know it. But your statement illustrates a classical logical fallacy used as a propaganda device, called a category error.
The victims are a subset of the entire population that was negligent in preventing the abuse. They may or may not have done their part in preventing it, but they needed at least a majority of the population, and didn't get it. We have the same problem if a majority of say, 51%, votes to take away the lives, liberty, or property of the minority 49%, who votes against it. That is the problem of majoritarian rule, and the reason the Founders insisted on a republic, with impediments to government action that would enable minorities, which have come to be called "veto groups", to block action. Of course, such minorities need to be sufficiently numerous and well-organized to make use of those procedures. That is why a trial jury can refuse to convict a criminally accused person by one juror out of the twelve holding out. That represents a minority of about 8%, but of course there won't even be that many if the civic culture degrades too far. So long as the impediments remain, all we have to do is to recruit a determined minority to oppose abuses. 20% could do it. We don't have to actually get enough, 50% + 1, to win elections, although that would help. But right now we are closer to 2-3%. We need to raise that percentage, educate them, and motivate them to be more determined and focused. On 10/07/2009 03:23 PM, Sasan wrote: > Oh wait, let me guess: these victims have "only themselves to blame" for > "allowing" masked thugs with sub-machine-guns to invade their homes, > steal/destroy their belongings, assault, kidnap, and throw them into a cage > to be raped by other captives. > > Did I get that right, Jon Roland? > -- Jon ------------------------------------------------------------------- Constitution Society 2900 W Anderson Ln C-200-322, Austin, TX 78757 512/299-5001 www.constitution.org [email protected] -------------------------------------------------------------------
