"I understand and agree with your belief that we are all collectively and individually responsible for our actions, but you said [the difference is critical], and I don't understand what you mean. Can you clarify?" --- K.B. of TN

The "critical difference" I was referring to was between "taking responsibility" and "assigning blame". I don't see any difference between "individual" and "collective" responsibility. You cannot be "individually responsible" or "collectively responsible" without being both at the same time. They are essentially the same thing. In fact, you could (correctly) say that the difference between responsibility and blame is that one recognizes the unification of individual and collective responsibility, while the other (blame) attempts to separate them. And this difference is "critical", because when we fail to connect individual responsibility with its collective counterpart, we end up creating a justification (or "excuse") for completely irresponsible behavior --- and that's exactly what blame does!

For example, if I say, "You hurt me", without recognizing that I chose to be hurt also, then I create an illusion of fault that keeps me and the other person from being able to prevent the hurt from happening again; and it thus most likely will happen again. I prevent myself from changing by placing "blame" on the other person, and I prevent the other person from wanting to change by not accepting my own responsibility, which only encourages them to blame me (because they can usually see your part better than their own also).

This plays out in criminal cases all the time as well. The rapist thinks, "She shouldn't have teased me by wearing those shoes", or the car thief thinks, "They shouldn't have left the keys in the car". There are as many criminals who blame the victims as there are victims who blame the criminals. And all the "Criminal Justice System" does by assigning "official" blame on the criminal is strengthen and solidify the blaming process and its consequences (i.e. more crime), much to the clear benefit of those who work for the System.

I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog that it is a well known fact that most "criminals" believe they have been unfairly convicted. And the "Justice System" routinely uses this as an excuse to "punish" criminals even more (e.g. they give longer sentences and harsher punishments to those who don't "accept responsibility" for their actions --- in other words, those who don't accept the blame as an individual). And thus the "System" propagates the very ignorance that ensures its own survival; no surprise there. It creates the very "criminal mentality" that it purports to be so against by blaming and punishing individuals without recognizing or acknowledging its own responsibility for what so-called "bad guys" do. The "Justice System" could not exist at all without this rift in responsibility. Without anyone to blame, there'd be no one to punish; and maybe we could start working on the real reasons people end up hurting each other for a change...

(J.D. February 2, 2017)