Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
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“We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation.” Bryan Stevenson Social injustice refers to the negative act performed by a group or person who feels entitled to dominance over others that share different traits in a society. These acts of injustice can stem from traits such as appearance, beliefs, and financial status. The unfair treatment comes from people who feel like they are better than others and believe they are the most powerful in that setting. In these situations the people who hold power can range from the government to a bully in elementary school. What this goes to show is how social justice can be present anywhere, there’s no limit. It is crucial to recognize our role in preventing these injustices to maintain a more inclusive community.
What I've noticed growing up in a society filled with social injustice is many people choose to normalize or totally ignore the problem. For example many people turn a blind eye towards racism when the judgment doesn't involve themselves. Majority of those who notice injustice appear to be afraid of voicing their opinion. They are taught to keep to themselves and avoid getting involved in conflict to stay protected. After being taught something for so long, there can be this risky feeling that comes with stepping out of your comfort zone. These people are usually silent, isolated, closed off, and /or antisocial. Comfort zones keep people at ease, so many people don’t leave them to stay away from anything threatening their sense of balance. This leads many people to compress their feelings because they may fear what people in power could hold over them. Which creates this never ending cycle of social injustices being ignored.
I noticed the same thing. My schools tried to protect kids from racism but they couldn’t always hear what the kids were talking about each other’s backs. SOmetimes kids would get threatened if they tell someone what they saw or heard which is why they usually don’t tell other people. Even if they do tho, then sometimes adults wouldn’t believe them.
I think the examples you’ve used are very good and very realistic. It’s an issue that exists and is one of the main reasons racism is a very prevalent issue.
I've witnessed social injustice while in my past school. Many of the kids put themselves into groups based on how “cool” you were. Being cool meant you had all the newest items, for example a new IPod or light-up sneakers. These were the most expensive items at the time and growing up in a city with high poverty it was rare to have pricey items. But if you didn’t have these things you were seen as an outcast, when in reality we had no control of what we could afford at such a young age. The cool kids held all the power and the less fortunate were seen as less than, not equal. These unhealthy relationships would even resort to bullying but no one really spoke up. Kids in class that weren't involved in the bullying always avoided calling out these acts. Honestly I fall victim to allowing other kids to bully one another mainly because I didn't want to be involved in trouble. Looking back now I truly regret staying silent because that could've possibly made someone feel like they weren't alone in that fight and had someone to help them get through their situation. This reminds me of Animal Farm, specifically when the animals began to notice the inequality between the working class and the pigs. The pigs began holding themselves to a higher standard because they believed they were too advanced to be equal to everyone else. After the rebellion Orwell mentions, “The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership”(27). This shows a sense of injustice because the pigs claimed all animals were equal but continued to value themselves more than others. We can see patterns repeat themselves as Benjamin falls victim to remaining silent and turning a blind eye towards injustice. Fearing that his voice might never be valued or heard. He strongly believed the farm would end in what it started with.
Social injustice can be solved. The problem is many people don’t want to be equal to others, they want to appear better than others. Growing up in this society, competition is seen everywhere, which can be its biggest downfall . In order for social injustice to be fixed, we have to understand why the unfair treatment is being done. Why are the people in power so bothered by their presence? We need to find a way to get everyone on the same page because I think social injustice comes from misunderstanding and prejudice. After we get all our information, we then have to find a way to make everything fair towards both groups the best we can. Though life isn’t fair.
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