13 July 99

“Perceptual Shorthand, Restating the Obvious”

I recently heard a colleague put the issue of victimization this way:

“Low-level criminals are not ‘fighters.’ They are ‘victimizers.’ They are not good at ‘fighting,’ nor do they have any interest in it. The successful ones are good only at victimization, and the most important of their victimizing skills is the ability to screen many potential victims quickly and select the ones with whom they will likely have the greatest success. Not surprisingly, they always search out the weakest and most vulnerable prey.”

Actually, criminals aren’t really very good at anything, even crime. That is why they keep getting caught! However, people who have no honor and thus no interest in earing an honest living will always be among us, and we must never underestimate them.

Sophisticated criminals victimize people in a financial way. These are the charlatans and gigolos. Less sophisticated criminals victimize people’s property. These are the petty thieves. The lowest of the low victimize people with physical violence. These are the muggers, bullies, abusers, and child molesters. However, these are also the ones with which we are most concerned, because, although they are repulsive, bottom-feeding, degenerates, they are still very dangerous. They have no honor and they are, without exception, cowards, but they still human predators, and they harm their victims regularly.

When selecting victims for physical violence, criminals inevitably describe the best candidates as:

> Irresolute
> Inattentive
> Distracted
> Hesitant
> Self-consumed
> Anxious
> Fearful
> Fainthearted
> Lacking energy
> Radiating “weakness,” and an obvious unwillingness to act

In other words: “sheep” and other grasseaters.

As one might expect, candidates displaying the following characteristics are immediately rejected:

> Uncluttered
> Focused
> Organized
> Businesslike
> Alert
> Extroverted
> Bold
> Commanding
> Dignified
> Energetic
> Strong

In other words: “Lions” and other top-of-the-food-chain meat eaters

There is little doubt that the way criminals perceive individuals dictates how they will interact with them and how they will be categorized: (1) as candidates for victimization, or (2) as people not to be messed with.

Giving a weapon to a sheep does not solve the problem, nor does grouping the sheep together in a flock. As Plato said, “It never troubles a wolf how many the sheep be.” As long as sheep act like, look like, and talk like sheep, they will be routinely selected for victimization by predators.

Non-victims, like us, are the ones who have claimed our own magnificence, who have boldly claimed our own warrior heritage, and who have claimed our birthright as meat eaters. It shows in everything we do, in our language, our posture, and our bearing. That is why criminals leave us alone. It’s not a matter of honor on their part. It’s just self interest.

Strong!

/John