Should Mike Piazza make a big fuss, just because he was hit in the head with a 90-mile per hour fastball? As he lay on the ground staring helplessly and aimlessly above him should he not consider the pressures he was placing on the pitcher who beaned him?

After all the guy was just trying to make a living. He earns his millions by striking out opposing batsmen and eventually winning baseball games. If he has to clip a few guys with a baseball to move than away from home plate it is definitely not his fault. It is most likely the fault of the batters for moving too close to the place where he wants to throw the ball.

When he was admonished for almost breaking apart Mike's face he shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He would have loved to blame Piazza but he came up just short of that defense. It is called "blame the victim."

In America we are treated very often to the old "blame the victim" scenario. The victims are usually either dead or incapacitated and so they make terrible witnesses or non-witnesses in a court of law.

As I view court cases on TV, I marvel how the supposed perpetrator answers questions easily and behaves very genteely dressed in a suit and tie. Only the district attorney must marshal the rights of the victim with evidence and logic. "Not guilty until proven otherwise" is a foundation of our legal system.

We must consider the accussed's childhood traumas and his financial background. We must consider if he/she comes from a broken home, and if he/she was picked on by bullies as a child. Were there mitigating circumstances by which we can declare, "He committed this horrible crime because his father worked late hours and was not there for him." Are we, the citizens, stretching credulity?

I have posed a question that does not have an answer. The accused has rights and the victim has rights. We must reconstruct the incident so that a clear picture is formed. We need the input of the victims but they are usually not available.

It represents a huge weakness in our system of justice. A jury of one's peers must sift the remaining evidence and carefully assess blame without the person who has been wronged. I have heard many lawyers declare, "Real justice is a complete accident."