Scapegoats

The metaphor of the scapegoat is essential in helping to understand the role of whistleblowers because it shows what part they tend to play in society. By taking on the role of the scapegoat, the whistleblowers takes on a huge responsibility. In the metaphor the scapegoat takes all the problems and troubles of the people he represents. The funny thing about the scapegoat, is that he does not choose to be a scapegoat. The scapegoat is bestowed with this responsibility of being the scapegoat. He is chosen and forced to carry all the problems that have been put on his head. Whether the whistleblower chooses this life or is forced into it is where morality comes in. Whistleblowers may not have exactly chosen to be whistleblowers, but when faced with the final decision they chose to follow their moral beliefs instead of continuing to conform with the company. The whistleblower takes on the problems and responsibilities that people see every day but no one says anything. Does this make them a hero? It should. The thing that messes up everything, is the concept of "should". We all know what we "should" do, but who actually does it? And "should" we really risk everything we have for morality if that endangers our entire lives and families?

When people choose to not say anything in some cases it is just as bad as agreeing with the the thing they are not refuting. People will conform to an action out of the fear of being rejected or persecuted. We look at it as bold for people to stand up for what they believe in, but we also tend to shun those who do not align with the flow of a community. People are afraid of change, and this inhibits advances. Alford states, "it tells us about the forces that hold society together and their consequences: the willingness of most people to do anything not to be sent space-walking" (5). People are social creatures and this means that we will try to fit in with society in order to live. When someone goes against the grain they are either going to be idolized for their actions or persecuted. Chances of being idolized are so slim nowadays that it isn't surprising that there are not countless whistleblowers.

Scapegoats and whistleblowers may be forced into this position either by society or by moral issues, but what about the kids at county who seem to have to deal with countless problems? Are they considered scapegoats of a different kind? Many of these kids do not want to be at MCCS. I had a 17 year old boy tell me about his plans for the future. He told me how he either wanted to go to SFSU or Santa Rosa JC. He also explained that he hated being at MCCS because it was impossible to learn anything. I asked him how he ended up there, and he told me that it was because he didn't attend his normal high school regularly. So he was there because of truancy. He continued to say that County made him wish he had never skipped a single class. When he told me this all I could think of was how a scapegoat is led to the person who will lay all the problems on its head and send it off into the forest. This kid didn't know what he was going to have to deal with if he missed classes, but he's already been pushed into the forest carrying burdens he didn't know he would have to deal with. I think there are different levels to being a scapegoat. But all the levels start with the fact that when the goat starts its life, or at a school, or at a new company, he or she doesn't know that he or she will end up being a scapegoat.