This was Politico’s attempt to explain one man’s evil deed:
“He fell victim to an increasingly common, sometimes overwhelming, temptation that the online world offers up to exhibitionists.”
When in doubt, Politico informs us, blame the internet and some kind of personal identity. The identity in question is ‘exhibitionist’; that’s just what he is. It’s not something he does that is wrong, but an immutable part of his personal identity. And if you give someone who has that kind of identity a twitter account, then the inevitable follows and who can blame him? If anything is to blame it is the ‘online world’, a kind of playground for his type. What was the man to do?
Politico’s Conclusion: We are all victims: victims of genes and environments.
Well the ‘victim’ should fight back. He should tell Politico that they are wrong, gravely mistaken in fact. Tell ’em that the next time there is a shoot up at the ok-street-corner he dares Politico to post the following: “He fell victim to an increasingly common, sometimes overwhelming, temptation that the real world of other people offers up to sharpshooters.” Aw, poor killer; he never stood a chance.
