odinoco:

unpopularly-opinionated:

If someone tied up a child to train tracks and a train runs them down, killing them, who is to blame, the train conductor, or the one tying the child down?

Some might blame the conductor, claiming that “just doing their job” isn’t a good enough excuse for running down a child. The train conductor should have known when applying for that position that there was the possibility a child might be tied to the train tracks and decided against getting the job. They aren’t off the hook just because they tried to stop the train in time either. They should’ve done more.

Others might blame the one tying the child down, claiming that they’re forcing that child into a position they otherwise wouldn’t be in. They’re taking away the child’s agency and purposefully placing that child in harm’s way. They knew whilst tying the child down that there was a very good possibility that a train might come and run the child over, but they went through with it anyways. They should’ve known better.

Now, imagine the person tying the child down is their parent, and now that their child has died they blame the conductor. Without knowing any of the details, who are the vast majority of people likely to believe, the soulless child-killing train conductor, or the crying parent grieving the loss of their child?

Gee, I wonder what situation made you think of this allegory.