The Tragedy of Eurydice - and the Insanity of Entitlement

The last thing she did was make people laugh. Eurydice Dixon, a budding comedian in Australia, worked some bar or other, and later texted a friend to report that she was almost safely home.

Almost.

She apparently was taking a route through a deserted park, which was something she had done several times without incident. This time, there was an incident. She was raped and murdered. Her body was found perhaps an hour later.

A case a few years earlier involved a violent sex offender who was out on parole. The victim's death sparked outrage that parole could be allowed to someone clearly a menace. Measures were taken to prevent that kind of crime from happening again.

In this case? The kneejerk reaction is dangerously deluded. There was nobody to blame but herself, but in these PC and #metoo times, you can't say that. The police and some elected officials responded to this tragedy by advising women NOT to walk ALONE in the PARK. In fact, NOT to walk ALONE in any suspect area at night.

This sane advice, in this PC and #metoo era, was considered INSULTING. Eurydice Dixon was a joy-giver, a lively comedian with a zest for finding ways to make people forget their troubles. Her death was a senseless tragedy. But "Activist" Pia Cerveri, reported in the same article that announced Dixon's death, announced her sense of entitlement. For herself. For all women. "Take back the park!" Meaning, and I quote, "women should be entitled to walk and feel safe any time of day or night."

REALLY? In a DESERTED PARK?

Let's have some reality here. It may be "appalling" that "a woman" can't walk alone in a park after midnight, but neither can a man. There's such a thing as "bad people." These "bad people" don't give a shit about what is or isn't "appalling." They take advantage of opportunity.

It's reckless and ridiculous to expect safety in a park after dark. What next, Pia Cerveri? Do you think you're entitled to leave your window open at night if you live on a deserted street? That you should leave your key in the ignition of your car? That you should be able to walk anywhere with your wallet in your back pocket or your purse dangling?

Central Park in New York is CLOSED at night. Yes, there are a lot of lights on certain paths, and there's even a police station in the park, but it's still CLOSED. That's because it is not safe for woman, man nor beast. Would it be wise to install bright lights and CCTV cameras so that one person choosing to walk around will be safe? Who do you blame when somebody in a ski mask grabs that person and robs, or drags the victim to a more secluded spot and rapes and murders?

Yes, we'd all like to live carefree lives, but NOBODY, not WOMEN and not MEN can do this. The sense of entitlement in this world is not just ludicrous, it's dangerous. We all must take common, sensible precautions. If Eurydice Dixon had asked a friend to walk with her, or had chosen another route, she'd be alive and laughing.

Her death is a mammoth tragedy. Some of the reactions to it: horrible farce.