Eight points just for the J in Justice, not to mention the bonus for using all seven letters, makes Justice a fine play in Scrabble even if you can’t double or triple your score; but the value of the word in Scrabble is outweighed by any of its implied meanings.
The Reverend Desmond Tutu spoke in retrospect about some the conflicts he and Nelson Mandela faced while forging a new and more progressive government in South Africa after apartheid was finally committed to the trash bin of South African history. Many of their associates advocated for Justice of Retribution and Vengeance. Wisely, they opted instead for Justice of Reconciliation.
Along the same lines, I saw a Youtube video today that featured Michael Ramsden, a well-known evangelist and speaker. His topic in this video is Reconciliation: Michael Ramsden – “Reconcilation In A Divided Culture” April 23 2019 – YouTube
Mr. Ramsden spoke of Kazuo Ishiguro, a British writer and his book, The Buried Giant. Plot spoiler: The main characters go on a quest to discover why no-one can remember more than two weeks of their own history. They find the cause of the global amnesia. But then they can’t decide if they should alleviate the malady of forgetfulness. One character argues against it, saying, “If you allow everyone to recover the past, quick tongued men will make ancient grievance rhyme with current complaint and the result will be war and mayhem.”
Quick tongued people using ancient grievances to bolster current complaints sounds like an accurate description of our divided culture today.
Mr. Ramsden uses this parable as an introduction to his thoughts about the current state of many cultures globally. He makes a distinction between cultures that are “Honor based” and others that are “Dignity based”; but he also discusses a third kind of culture, one that is “Victim based”.
Alarmingly, many in our world see themselves as victims who must dedicate themselves to eradicating this self-imposed negative image.
In a victim-based culture, Justice is driven by anger and emotions become weaponized. Often the incident that motivates the victim narrative occurred hundreds of years in the past. For instance, here in America, some are still fighting the Civil War, 170 years later.
Anyone who disagrees with the adherents about the tenets of their victimology becomes an enemy.
Justice is polluted by bitterness and vindictiveness.
Proposed: Let us have Justice of Reconciliation at all times and in all situations. This is not, and should not be, the Christian mantra of turning the other cheek. An actual wrong should be redressed, not ignored; but it should be redressed without the addition of recriminations and spitefulness.
Another example of reconciliation was the Japanese response to defeat by the US in the Second World War. It helped to have the world’s most powerful enemy suddenly become protector against nearby enemies China and Russia.
Here in the US the grievance culture promotes “reparations” to people of African descent. Legal ammunition sales are high. Many whites fear what could come next after accusations of “white supremacy,” “systemic racism,” and “white privilege.”
Honor and Dignity: we often use those terms to describe work. Work works, so we should remove policies that discourage work. And don’t submit to demands for retribution and redistribution.
Richard:
You said, “Honor and Dignity: we often use those terms to describe work. Work works, so we should remove policies that discourage work. And don’t submit to demands for retribution and redistribution.”
Agreed. Nothing can be gained by giving into unjust demands. However, true justice may sometimes require some give and take.
You also said, “Many whites fear what could come next after accusations of “white supremacy,” “systemic racism,” and “white privilege.””
True justice is never driven by fear, especially fear of what could come next. It’s not about alleviating fear. It’s about doing what is right.
In my August 2 comments I mentioned Japanese fear of Russia and China in their sudden turn from enemy to ally of the US. In the US People of Color are disproportionately victimized by crime. Serious crime reduction is necessary for real justice.
Richard: You won’t find WinLoseorDraw arguing against reductions in crime, and you certainly won’t find him arguing against “real justice; but let’s make that real Justice with a capital J.