I've noticed that a serious problem in the fandom is that people refuse to look at an abuser and say that they're suffering while still thinking of them as an abuser. It's easier to either make them worst than they actually are and make them enjoy the suffering of others, or pretend that they aren't doing anything.
But people rarely hurt others just for the sake of it. More often than not, the way we treat others comes from our own pain:
We have Overhaul as an example, who wanted a world free of quirks, felt repulsed because of his own and wanted a world without quirks, and this manifested on him hurting Eri. Endeavor, who was suffering because of jealousy and wanted to be no. 1, and this manifested on him hurting his family. Bakugo, who wanted to be the best, and proceeded to hurt Deku when threathened. And then we have characters like Uraraka, who loves seeing people happy and who doesn't like to impose people, because of her parents. Aizawa, who is very strict as a teacher and it seems to me that it was because of his experience with Oboro. All Might, who decided to become the Symbol of Peace because of the chaos in the past...
The idea is that once you say that x character is an abuser or perpetrator, then you are crazy or people get offended, because it takes the whole suffering away for them. People mostly relate to the victims, and seeing abusers as the ones who get hurt is kind of controversial. If I say that Endeavor was suffering, the amount of people that will probably come after me is going to be terrifying. I don't even have to give my reasons because most aren't going to listen, and therefore my opinion will be useless. So, when you give the public this man, Dabi, who is attractive, charismatic (the video, I guess), related to this person who was an abuser (Endeavor), and then telling his lifestory, it feels anticlimactic to call him an a perpetrator. And then people start saying that you can be both a victim and an abuser, which I understand where do they come from, I mean, you can be a victim and then become a perpetrator, but oh my God, how much I disagree when others say that you can do it at the same time when it comes to these situations from the manga...
Looking at the LOV vs heroes battle and saying that the LOV are the victims, or saying that Dabi is both a victim and a perpetrator at the same time, takes the whole meaning, official meaning of being a victim and a perpetrator in a situation, that are terms that heavily depend of the context in my opinion. There's also people who say it in an abstract tone, and those are the only ones that I can actually understand. But maybe because I've became too logical, guided by the rules when it comes to these types of words that have such a big influence in the real world because the meaning changes depending of the person, that I disagree so much. I know nothing, but I prefer looking at it objectively because that's how I think we should act when it comes to something that could be, potentially, a crime. When thinking like that, I inmediately enter a zone where my first thoughts are "right now, your feelings do not matter", something that could make me look pretty cold, and... I guess that it's naturally hard for people to do that when you are so emotionally invested on someone. Some people are going to assume that I didn't experienced something related, even. And then they start projecting and... ah, it's a disaster. I really think that humans should stop thinking that just because you didn't experienced something, you can't talk about it. Knowledge isn't completely empirical. Like, have you ever heard of being rational--?
If you are the one hurting others or the one who's going to hurt others, then I think that by logic, you are the perpetrator. You include what happens on the outside, and it may change things.
But once you include what's happening inside of you, your reactions and emotions, it changes the whole meaning for others.
I guess that's why things get so simplified on Law--. When you add what makes us humans, it becomes a huge problem.
I think Twice battle is also a huge example of this... You could say that Hawks was the perpetrator, but once you add the reasons of doing it and the context (protecting the civilians), he becomes a victim and Twice is the perpetrator. But people saw the perpetrator suffering and that changes everything, because the general idea is that they don't suffer at all. Twice became more emotional than Hawks, and it translates into him being the victim and Hawks being the perpetrator, regardless of the context. Throw the fact that people sympathized with Twice and it becomes a disaster.
I don't believe that people are bad from birth and it heavily depends of your experiences as a kid. I think that we are all victims of something, and then, some people become abusers. That's just life...
... Maybe I should just write an analysis about it instead xD
Many people do tend to have a black and white view of victim and perpetrator from what I’ve seen in fandom.
As you said, many can’t seem to grasp that abusers much like Overhaul and Endeavor had genuine reasons why they did what they did and it wasn’t based on the need to cause their victims suffering, rather their suffering was an after-effect that they ignored in order to focus on their goals. What many people I think also fail to understand that having a reason for your actions doesn’t excuse what you’ve done and while many seem to grasp this with Endeavor and Overhaul, they don’t seem too when it comes to the League of Villains.
I’m not really sure why this is the case though my guess is because they are victims in the past unlike Endeavor, who’s past is unknown and irrelevant, or Overhaul, who still had the family support behind him though he may not have had the most conventional of upbringings.
I would say I’m like you, to be honest. While I acknowledge the league and their past, I view it as mostly irrelevent when it comes down to stopping them unless it can be used as a way to speak them down. Knowing their situation certainly makes me understand why they’ve done what they’ve done but it’ll never excuse them in my eyes. I guess I would be considered cold too.
It’s certainly an interesting topic of debate to think about. Many people do act more with their hearts then their heads and that’s neither a good nor a bad thing (it depends on case by case situations), at least what I’ve seen in the fandom, and while I love the empathy most in fandom have, I feel like they sometimes take it way too far for the League. Especially when they don’t show the same empathy for the League’s victims.
...I think I’m just rambling at this point T-T
