Victim? I don't care what you think
Whether it is the eloquent or crass, whether you agree with it or not, the opinions of someone who has been wronged or has had a loved one killed are irrelevant to policy.
I have nothing but sympathy for the families left behind by service personnel killed in the line of duty; my heart goes out to those who have lost a family member in tragic circumstances in the NHS; I understand the anger of those who have been victims of crime. I think they should be given the support they need.
That support does not include tearing up expert advice and rewriting policy to meet the expectations of someone in the middle of an emotional rollercoaster and who does not necessarily know anything about the situation.
It’s not every victim who is asked their opinion. I seem to see victims in the papers and on the television all the time. I don’t suppose we’ll be asking people who have lost their homes in Cockermouth will be asked for their opinions on flood engineering any more than we asked the passengers on Captain Sullenberger’s flight for their opinions on aircraft engineering.
I do wonder if it is just the tragic and photogenic who are used like this, or whether class and intellect make some victims easier to exploit – and I do believe it is often media exploitation that raises up these popular champions.
I suppose in logical terms, this is a kind of argument from authority. A fallacy, this suggests that because someone who knows a lot has said something, it must be true. In this case, something is made true because someone cares a lot. It is the intersection of the baleful doctrine of victims’ rights (more specifically, victims’ rights against offenders , of which more here ) and Warholian fame.
That is not a recipe for good policymaking or good politics. It is a recipe for a government based on whichever tug-of-the-heartstrings cause, with a suitable victim, survivor or grieving family member. I rather suspect I will be called heartless or a government toadie for this; I submit that newspapers that go after grieving widows to encourage them to publish private correspondance are rather more heartless. I submit that it leads to worse policy and more victims.
Posted by Wordmobi
November 28th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Mitchell and Webb are very good on this – oddly, the only place it exists on the web is quoted over at Justin’s.
November 29th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Yes, they are good on it – and the rest of Justin’s post is thoroughly worth reading.