Scapegoats

When you were in trouble as a kid you would do almost anything to point the finger at something else. A sibling, a friend or random chance. Maybe you did something wrong on purpose, or maybe you made an honest mistake. Either way, it can be very hard to own your actions and face the appropriate punishment. Maybe the punishment is unknown, as those with authority often make the rules. You could risk banishment from the family or from the wider group. There is an instinctual resistance to owning up to our mistakes and having to deal with the unknown consequences that may follow. 

This guy definitely did something

When you have authority over someone, there is even less incentive to own up to your mistakes. Why would you own up to something when those below you cannot dish out the consequences? In essence, you would be punishing yourself. In a zero-sum game such as politics or voting systems of power, any punishment you inflict on yourself merely allows other parties to gain more favour. And so, what seems to happen, is those in power consistently point the finger at those below. They look to weaker individuals as their ideal scapegoats. They can dish out punishment on these groups and appear as the good guys to the majority. When pointing the finger at others, it’s much easier to point your finger at a physical point of difference. Whether an ethnic group wears a Jewish kippah, a Christian cross or Muslim Hijab, there are many physical identifiers that represent a certain religion or belief system. And while it can make life easier to quickly identify someone who subscribes to your particular beliefs, these identifiers can also be used as beacons of division.

All people wearing red hats are highly dangerous and should be avoided

In any group there is a range of extreme and conservative beliefs, just as some individuals are good Samaritans and some are morally corrupt. What saddens me, is that great swathes of people are still being used as political scapegoats. Rather than accepting a myriad of complex and unmanageable reasons may be to blame for societal issues, scapegoating is simplified and targeted. In the current pandemic, marginalised communities have often been referred to as ‘breaking the rules’ which has resulted in spreading the disease. And while some rule breaking may have occurred, it is unreasonable to subject a whole group to such main-stage ridicule.  These communities have seen increased policing, punishment and segregation from other communities. They have been pedestaled by the media as rule breakers and as less-than. These scapegoat groups are marginalised with no real power to enact change. They are merely victims of circumstance. It saddens me to see that this sort of scapegoating has occurred. To shift blame from those in power to those without. However, not all of those in power are to blame either, and we must be mindful of that too.

Doesn't feel so good now, does it?

We do have a strong tendency to point the finger. To blame. To try and regain some feeling of control over our situation. We feel much safer knowing the identity of the unknown assailant. There is a collective sigh of relief when we unmask a monster. But we must not see a monster when there is none. We must look at everyone as individuals. And we must look to those in power to hold themselves to higher standards. It is not fair to group people based on their beliefs or by where they live. For a proud, diverse, multicultural nation, I’m astonished by the consistent government and media scapegoating of those in multicultural communities. And I'm more surprised by how many critical-thinking individuals believe them.