The Justice Gene Stomped (Part One of Three)
That’s not fair!
That’s not right!
There is no justice!
If these statements have crossed your mind or your lips, then you know what it is to have your justice gene tweaked, stung, or stomped.
Think you don’t have a justice gene? Did you find yourself frustrated by the availability of Covid vaccines and who got them first in front of you, your loved ones, people of color, or someone you know who was at risk? Did you find yourself angry when you learned that rich people or politically connected people were moved to the front of the line without regard to rules or guidelines?
Or maybe you were offended by someone who had a completely different perspective about getting the vaccine or not. Maybe you disagreed about mask wearing, opening the economy, or the overall threat of the virus. Weren’t you right and everyone else wrong if they disagreed?
You know it in your gut when something is not fair, right, or just. You feel it even before you recognize it. It physically hurts and may lead you to want to hurt someone else, even if you choose not to.
We all have it, and it is instinctive. It so instinctive, that we are incredulous when someone disagrees. “How could they think that!?”
Pick any emotionally volatile topic—guns, immigration, or abortion. You are sure what is right…and the person who disagrees with you is equally sure you are wrong.
It doesn’t have to be national conflicts. It can be very local ones like school districting, neighborhood zoning, or even someone cutting in front of you at the deli counter.
The angrier we get; the more unyielding we are. As our voices raise and our positions become written in stone, we find that our opinion has migrated to a place of moral certainty. Now we can justify not just attacking the other position, but attacking the other person. Things only get worse.
Two equally committed righteous people (regardless of who is really right) rarely find a place to helpfully engage. The only thing that comes to mind in the heat of the moment is brute force. When we are tempted to test the strength of our will alone with someone who disagrees, we had better pay attention so we can choose a response rather than react to a moment.
Our immediate defense to unfairness is often the lowest common denominator—power against power. It is not necessarily wrong, but often results in clear winners and losers. If you don’t have the power, you better consider the costs, not just the entitlement to fight. Acting on equally committed righteous anger can lead to some consequences that are decidedly unintended.
Next week: small example, big pause.