It seems to me that we are living in a society that is unable to shoulder the responsibility of our actions. In the face of drastic error often the first and most viable solution is to blame something or someone else. It is true that we live in a world so critical of our actions that impending ridicule from most any socially unacceptable action is unbearable. However I think that it also shows a lot about the character of our society that we chose not to welcome the aftermath of our decisions. Instead we have celebrities blaming drugs and alcohol; murders and molesters blaming psychiatric issues and a “troubled past;” as well as children and politicians – there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference these days – blaming who ever they can point a finger at for what they do.
The others, observers of this strange reality, accept the excuses that are fed to them. Why? Perhaps we would rather live in a rubber-bumper, sugar-coated world than to try and comprehend the salt and sulfur underneath this layer of fantasy? I for one, am for a change in the responsibility of our citizens. I was once told honesty is the best policy and I think that it would help us to think about that the next time we want to shift blame.
David Meyer is a student at West Chester University.