Everywhere you go these days, it seems you hear about social justice. You can’t escape it, at least I can’t. Talk to many college students and you will hear something like this: “I changed my major from from engineering to education with an emphasis in social justice!” Yes, this is usually from someone of the female persuasion but not always. Even middle-aged people are in on the social justice theme. Check out Facebook and you will see old friends and acquaintances discussing the need to bring social justice into their work and lives. What the hell?
By now, we should all know what social justice means, is and does. But for those of you who have either kept your head in the sand or tried to ignore the fad and hoped it would go away, social justice, according to this urban dictionary definition, which is probably the most accurate, is:
Promoting tolerance, freedom, and equality for all people regardless of race, sex, orietntation, national origin, handicap, etc… except for white, straight, cisgendered males. Fuck those guys, they’re overprivileged no matter what.
“In the name of social justice, check your privilege.”
Or maybe this definition is just as accurate:
Mob violence, usually associated with a victim group.
1969 Stonewall riots.
1992 LA riots.
It seems there are as many definitions as there are SJWs. Maybe this is the goal: to leave as many people as confused as possible so they can be controlled and pushed around by these titans of righteousness. Or maybe it is something more utilitarian. Nice office jobs with the title diversity counselor or administrator etc. in a variety of settings are available for the moment. How long this will last is debatable, but many students look forward to the day they graduate and possibly get one of these positions. It may be a fantasy but it is one that keeps them on their toes, punching back twice as hard against anyone who does not share their views.
But is social justice a source of good or a destructive force in society? Can it build literal bridges or even the metaphorical bridges of human relationships? Perhaps it builds neither. The students who might have been engineers turn to what they perceive to be the greener, easier pastures of diversity and social justice and use their newfound power to make other people’s lives more difficult. They work to socially engineer a society for their own purposes and not necessarily for the people they purport to help. Currently, our society is very rich and new innovations are coming forward to improve the lives of people, but how long will this last or be rewarded? The U.S. is already falling behind in math, technology, and science:
For both students and up-and-coming professionals, tests and studies continue to confirm that the U.S. is losing its competitive edge when it comes to math, technology and science. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which surveyed more than 150,000 people age 16 to 65 in 24 different countries, America’s results for literacy were disappointing, but mathematics and problem solving proved to be especially embarrassing for a nation that has formerly reigned as a leader of innovation and technology. The U.S. ranked 21 out of 23 countries in math and 17 out of 19 countries in problem solving in the October study.
Social justice creates the chaos of Ferguson and gives those who glory in destruction a reason to destroy. It does little to solve problems and create better communities. In short, social justice cannot build a bridge, not in a literal sense and not with human relationships. We need people who can solve problems and motivate people to be the best they can be, not wallow in their differences and reward the worst things about human nature. Action speaks more highly than words. It may sound good to tell “victims” they need to get retribution from their enemies, but it usually ends in their own lives and communities being all the worse for it.
When dealing with the SJW, watch their actions, ignore the words and don’t buy into the hype that social justice is a force for good. A society with the current definition of social justice as its goal is like using sawdust to build a bridge: it may give the illusion of being sturdy but will crumble when the first hint of wind hits its frail beams. That is not the way to build a strong civilization.
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