Herd outrage – you could be next

Can we please speak about outrage for a minute? Because I’m convinced that emotional responses say more about us than we would like them to. And whereas I would prefer to talk directly about secret minyanim (prayer services), about super-spreader weddings, about Rage, and about people travelling back from holiday with COVID-19, it will be easier to illustrate my point if we take a step away from these incidents and consider one that stands outside of our own community.

The story of Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane went viral after she was seen not wearing a mask during a funeral service at the weekend. Following the event and the reaction, she has made a statement at the Vosman Police Station in Emalahleni, where she confirmed her guilt. South Africans were enraged and wasted no time in expressing their disgust on social media and in the mainstream press. Analogies were made to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where “some are more equal than others”, and she was lambasted across the political spectrum and for a short time, became the target of our frustration.

It was, needless to say, exacerbated by the fact that the premier is a representative of government, should have known better, and didn’t seem at all bothered by the fact that she would be on national television flouting the laws that have given others in the country a criminal record.

Our outrage, it seems, was fully justifiable.

But, consider the following. There is a chapter in Jonathan Sacks’ book Not in G-d’s Name, devoted to scapegoats. Although the chapter explains why through history, Jews became a group of choice for blame, the rationale is instructive. He explains that a scapegoat must be similar to us, identifiable, and not too powerful. So, in the case of our minister, there would have been little reaction to a government representative in China not wearing a mask because we can’t relate to them.

Consider further why we seek scapegoats at all, and why now more than ever, we are looking for them. Most of us are frustrated, angry, despondent, and miserable. At least some of the time. The pandemic has challenged us in almost every aspect of our lives. It has made us fearful and anxious. But it’s also clearly an act of G-d, which means that there is no natural “home” for our misery. We might rage against government as everyone around the world is doing, we might blame “the media”, the “fearmongers”, and Bill Gates, but the reality is that no one owns this.

Unless someone likes the minister puts up her figurative hand by not wearing a mask and in doing so, says, “Pick me!” In doing so, she provided a perfect home for all our anger, frustration, and impotence. In doing so, she made herself the perfect scapegoat. She offered us a home for all our emotions. It’s no different to someone deciding to host a wedding where protocols are lacking, someone who flies back on a plane knowing they are COVID-19 positive, lets their children attend Rage, or hosts a secret and illegal minyan.

In doing these things, we are asking a frustrated people in search of a home for their outrage to “pick me!” Anyone who chooses to host a minyan, go to Rage, or not wear a mask offers themselves as the perfect target for all our negativity.

Don’t raise your hand if you don’t want to be chosen.