TheBanyanTree: The convenience of blaming the victim

[JNorton]

As a teacher, I can honestly say that parental cooperation even in the most
basics, like doing homework and coming to school, is sadly lacking these
days. And at my school we do work to eliminate bullies. However, some
parents, when contacted about their child bullying others, shrug and say,
"Kids will be kids."

I've had students with appalling hygiene. I've kept deodorant, toothbrushes,
toothpaste, soap, etc. in my desk drawer for students to use. I've known of
teachers who send dirty or smelly students to the PE dressing room to
shower.

What makes people think that in 6 or 7 hours a day, maybe 5 days a week, 180
days a year, I can overcome the influence of parents and what they do or
don't teach their children? Doesn't this parent have the ultimate
responsibility for his or her child? And there's no lack of ads on TV
extolling personal hygiene.


Jena, Full Moon Warrior Princess
----- Original Message -----
From: "JMoney" <PJMoney at bigpond.com>
To: "TheBanyanTree" <thebanyantree-remsset.com at lists.remsset.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 2:36 AM
Subject: TheBanyanTree: The convenience of blaming the victim


> I've just heard the most extraordinary thing.  Not that Arnie won the
> election.  That's not extraordinary, and frankly, I see no reason why a
> former body-builder and actor shouldn't make just as good a politician as,
> say, a continuing liar and adulterer or, perhaps, your friendly local
> used-car dealer.  I had an uncle who was a used-car dealer and, apart from
> being a very brave, generous, kind, tolerant and wise man, he also used to
> read his Bible every night in bed.  In Australia, in my experience, the
last
> is quite unusual.
>
> No.  The extraordinary thing is that a woman in the USA has been found
> guilty of being a bad housekeeper and may go to jail for ten years over
it.
> Of course it's actually a little more complicated than that; her young son
> committed suicide.  Apparently he was picked on at school.  Apparently
> that's because he was ill kempt and smelly.  The mother, being a very bad
> housekeeper and, by extension, a bad mother, didn't train her son either
> directly or by example to be neatly turned out and fragrant.  Therefore
she
> is the one who is culpable in her son's suicide.
>
> So there she is on the TV screen, silently bearing her humiliation and
> condemnation, flanked by lawyers and looking, as she well might, utterly
> crushed.  Her eyes are puffy sinkholes of misery.  She's overweight,
> uncoiffured, uncoutured and has the sort of collapsed mouth that suggests
> she may have no teeth.  See for yourselves.  She looks, if one goes by
> appearances, like just the sort of person who would make an excellent
target
> for blame - undoubtedly poor, probably under-educated, most likely not too
> smart and, chances are, someone who had a pretty lousy childhood herself.
>