Justice and the Cheesy Truth

Note: This post was originally written on Friday, February 11th 2011


“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” -War and Peace/Edmund Burke

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” – 

Declaration of Independence

Justice… with all the crazy scandals and horribly abuses in the world, it almost seems like an antiquated idea, a dusty old thing that has lost its power and relevance.

There are things we were taught in school as essential rules of interaction in a civilized society- “Wait your turn”, “Don’t hit”, “Be fair”, “Say you’re sorry”, “Share”, “Be honest”, etc. These rules and others that we tried to understand as children quickly become laughable in adulthood. After reading the daily news headlines or even just taking a look around at the world today, one might get the impression that impatience, violence, corruption, hatred, dishonesty, abuse, war, and selfishness are not only commonplace, but acceptable and inevitable traits of human society. Inevitable, perhaps- but acceptable? Have we really become so broken, so distorted and hopeless that evil is no longer thought of as the enemy?

Now I know that there are many people who do good, fight for justice, and love others. But sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged and lose sight of the good that is being done in the world. In light of the high levels of corruption that we are surrounded with on a daily basis, and in response to experiences I have had, I want to make my stance known. I have always tried to do the right thing, and to my surprise I am often opposed by those I expected to stand with me. I have been called naïve, told that I overreact, and that I can’t make any difference, but I don’t believe it. I cannot necessarily change laws, punish criminals, or fix all the problems in the world. But I can control my own life, and when I see corruption, abuse, and evil that I have the power to fight, I will not hold back. So here is my pledge:

I will not knowingly or willingly participate in acts of injustice. When it is in my power to act, I will do all that I can to promote justice and freedom. I will choose to do the right thing. I will support and defend the abused and helpless when I have the ability to do so. I will speak up when I see something that is wrong, instead of letting it slip by. I will exercise my own freedom and will fight as much as possible against any bondage, abuse, or evil. I will stand for good. I will stand for honestly, fairness, non-violence, safety, freedom, justice, and peace. I will actively seek the good in life and be encouraged by it.

Maybe I won’t make much of a difference- but small things can add up.  And no, I don’t care that this sounds ridiculously cheesy, because I believe these ideals and small actions are what really makes a difference in the world.  If everyone did what they could to make the world better in their little sphere of influence, it would make a big difference.  In conclusion, I’d like to mention the story of the starfish (If you don’t know it, read it here: http://muttcats.com/starfish.htm ), and remember every time you make a choice for good: It made a difference to that one.