VICTIMHOOD RETURNS
It’s increasingly more difficult to know who not to believe. Last week I shared the story of Terrance Dickson, who sued the family he burglarized. It appears the anecdote is false. In a rush, I hurriedly whipped out the article and didn’t check my facts closely enough. I briefly looked online and thought I could trust the original source (an article by a pastor). Well… guess what?
Here’s the point. We live in a culture drenched in a victim mindset. Let’s kill my original story and consider these cases, which based on my fact-checking, are true.
In 1994, Stella Liebeck was awarded $2.9 million after being burned by a cup of McDonald’s coffee she spilled on herself.
In 2002, two trespassers received $24.2 million for injuries they acquired while illegally trespassing on private property.
In 2017, Simone Zimmer filed a class-action suit against Kona Brewing Company and was awarded $4.7 million because the beer is not brewed in Hawaii.
Or how about these cases which plaintiffs lost? Their very presence in court emanates the odor of “victimhood.”
In 2017, a teen sued Subway for $520,000 because their foot-long sandwich measures only 11.5 inches.
In 2016, Stacy Pincus sued Starbucks for putting too much ice in her drink.
In 1995, an inmate sued himself for $5 million because his crime violated his religious beliefs. (Needless to say, neither side won the lawsuit!)
Examples like these flourish. Our society is saturated in victimhood and its twin, entitlement. While quarantined on the Grand Princess, we experienced this firsthand. Princess Cruise Lines attended to our every need, even totally refunding our money, plus giving each of us a free cruise in the future. Yet some passengers were suing Princess. An attorney even called to represent us, and was less than thrilled when we declined.
A few days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites plummeted into a victim mindset. Rather than praising God for their freedom, they complained about their conditions, moaning about how much they missed Egypt (where in fact, they were being brutally beaten as slaves). Entitlement and victimization can blind us.
The cure for these maladies? Gratitude. Focusing on the blessings we have, rather than what we think we’re entitled to. Instead of looking at what’s wrong in our lives, lift our heads and thank God for the deluge of blessings he pours on us each day. The world will look much more beautiful.