The trump card played yet again, the stacked deck of authority, another argument won by sheer dint of the opponent being more powerful than I. What was the trump card? Powerful rhetoric, ownership of the truth? No, a mere phrase but loaded with unarguable finality – ‘It Just Is’.
The simple phrase that shouts – I am right, you are wrong and brooks no further argument. ‘It Just Is’, the phrase backed up by the advantage of age, perceived superiority, and the weight that privilege confers.
How many arguments did I lose because of the words ‘It Just Is’ not merely as a child but throughout life to those who determined the parameters of rectitude? But ‘It Just Is’ is not ‘Justice.’
Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor said ‘There maybe times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.’
I was never satisfied when the ‘It Just Is’ defence was used against me as a child, it smacked of unfairness – if you have worked with young people for more than a millisecond you will know their frustrated cry ‘But that’s not fair!’
It is not fair that some have more privilege, status and power than others but have chosen to weaponise their privilege. It is not fair that birth, determines whether your voice has status or value or is even heard at all.
The Roman orator Seneca said ‘The other side shall be heard as well’. This blog does not accept what ‘Just Is’ but strives for ‘Justice’. This blog recognises the privilege of its author, that of race, sex, gender identity, education, and class but chooses to use privilege to highlight the voice of the voiceless. As archbishop Desmond Tutu said ‘If you are neutral in terms of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’
So what can you look forward to? Coming up an interview with Kendra Houseman about exclusion, gangs and the #ICU social media campaign. Why I care about the media portrayal of the Gypsy Roma Traveller community and many more topics.#
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#Justice #Wiesel #Seneca #Tutu #OutofThe-Shadows
Beardy's Blog 