BY: BRITTNEY CHANNER
Last Thursday as I was on my way to work, I helplessly overheard a conversation a woman was having with the bus driver. The woman was describing her concerns regarding the progression of the Regent Park Housing Development in Toronto. She proceeded to state that the newly developed condos pushed all the “bad people” out of Toronto and forced them into the City of Brampton, which unfortunately is the reason why Brampton has become a “crime-ridden city.” As I tried to respectfully decipher the validity within her statement, I found myself noticing how impressionable the bus driver was. At no particular time in the conversation did he question the legitimacy or the substance of what the passenger was saying. He accepted everything she had said as fact without a doubt. He proceeded to shake his head in disapproval at the information and responded with gratitude to the fact that he did not have to live in Toronto.
The point that I am gearing towards is the importance to watch our words and what we say regarding the discrimination or the oppression of those around us or in other countries. It is equally important to ensure that when discussing matters that involve sensitive or controversial material, we find the time to validate our resources in order to prevent misleading or false information from being spread. When we as human beings look at the idea of justice, some of us only adhere to the physical component which consists of protesting, boycotting or the teachings that emulate what justice is. However, justice is not only attained through the actions of individuals but through our words and how we convey to others the experience and events that create injustice in the first place.
Every day, we are bombarded by different forms of media that inform us about a variety of events that happen within the city. The viewing audience then has the choice to accept what has been reported to them or choose to investigate the issue in more detail, in order to become fully aware of the situation, allowing for proper and accurate dialogue. Unfortunately, a majority of people choose to rely only on one source of information regarding a controversial issue instead of exploring a situation in more depth. What this results in is misconstrued views, biased arguments and inaccurate explanations that do not fully represent the truth or the overall foundation of a story. When this happens, conversations like the one mentioned earlier begin to happen and those who are unaware of these controversial events become impressionable and ingest ignorance.
Throughout time, we have seen the consequences of what happens when one chooses not to investigate thoroughly the facts behind an inquiry. With ignorance being one of the main outcomes of a poorly examined subject matter, we can see how stigma is created and developed throughout society; which makes comprehension of serious issues difficult. For example, the topic of mental health was heavily stigmatized for many years due to ignorance and false opinions that were treated as fact. These inaccuracies prevented people from developing their own opinions through research which essentially resulted in people accepting the floating views that commonly existed during that time.
Creating justice with our words is a crucial attribute when fighting wrongdoings because it allows for proper communication and education about matters of concern. Our words are able to offer solutions and viable insight on what we as a society can do to implement change. Our words are very powerful and can have the ability to produce action or recycle intolerance. It is necessary that when speaking to others on matters of discrimination, injustice, and oppression, we seek out all valid facts and conduct proper research to ensure that we are not expressing our own personal opinions to inquiring minds but articulating all the underlying details surrounding a particular circumstance.
Justice is a right that should exist for all human beings around the world but unfortunately, not everyone is guaranteed this right. Being an advocate for justice is one of the many ways of creating change and educating others around you. Regardless of how you choose to combat injustice, it is important to note that justice can be created through the words you speak.
