Ignorance In Social Justice

Ignorance: Bliss or Misery? Social justice has been a popular topic since humans began to establish their rights and freedoms. While social justice can serve to help protect those who have been robbed of their rights or unfairly treated, it can also provoke thought about the nature of society as a whole. By exploring social justice issues through various mediums, such as the movie Slumdog Millionaire, the song Flawless by Beyonce, or the graphic novel Deogratias by Jean-Phillipe Stassen, insight is given that shows a sad reality about social justice in our modern society- most people choose to only support a social justice issue if they are personally affected by it. This societal plague of turning a blind eye to those in need is widespread, …show more content…
In the graphic novel Deogratias by Jean-Phillipe Stassen, the Rwandan genocide is seen through the eyes of Deogratias, a Hutu boy who has to participate in the killings. The United States, France, and many other countries had knowledge of the genocide but did not act to help those being murdered, instead removing troops from Rwanda. A specific scene in the graphic novel sees Deogratias speaking to one of very few international soldiers left. The French soldier was in an extremist Hutu camp. This mirrored what really occurred, as France did not want to take accountability for what was going on in Rwanda, and removed many of its troops. This lack of international response to the genocide in Rwanda shows that even when hundreds of thousands of people are dying over a conflict, if people are not personally affected by a social justice issue they will not act on it. Issues not helped by those unaffected can remain problematic for years to …show more content…
This is exhibited in the song Flawless by Beyoncé Knowles and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. One line in the song says, “You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man” (Knowles). This shows that men are perceived as more successful, and rather than trying to change this ideology, it is perpetuated and girls are raised to be less ambitious than boys. While women aim to change this perception, the fact that it is still prevalent shows that without the help of men, ideas that put down women will continue to exist in our society. The presence of sexism towards women to this day proves that men, unaffected by it, would rather ignore the issue than help solve it. In conclusion, media forms including songs, movies, and graphic novels, show that unless people are personally affected by an issue, they will choose to ignore it. This ignorance can prove devastating and fatal, robbing humans of the fundamental rights and respect they deserve. This terrifying trend can only be stopped by those daring enough to abandon the pattern set by society. The trailblazer or the blind- it is up to you to decide which you will