How I See Social Justice

In all honesty, I never really think about social justice much the same way it never crosses my mind about civil rights.  Some may think that a loose statement but from my perspective it makes all the sense in the world.  The words found in the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence are neon lights in history, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I would like to focus in on all men are created equal portion.  To me, that one phrase encompasses so much of the correct view on life.  If the framers were many things that some say they are or are not, we must all give them credit for this acknowledgement of what we all naturally know.  No man is greater than another, women included.  We may be different in a variety of ways, but at the core, we are similar.  Even science declares, the uniqueness of the human species, and DNA confirms that remarkable trait of connectivity that makes us more alike than not, down to the infinite degree.

To bring it home, I would think social justice would be derived from the common desires innate in us all.  The pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.  The social harmony of society.  The acknowledgement of the immense potential and worth of each human contribution, whether they be perfect in appearance or disabled.  We all have the capacity to contribute a unique and peculiar gift that only that one person can.  The realization that God gave us gifts, talents, and abilities, and if we genuinely care to be just, then we should respect and pursue the enhancement of those amongst each other.  We should strive to respect, encourage, and polish society, while at the same time desire for no harm to befall anyone.

If the premise of social justice is to make things equal, then perhaps we should start from the point that all things are equal.  There can never be sameness of results because we are never going to be the same.  That is an illusion.  What we can do is produce results.  Each person producing their result according to their ability that amplifies the whole.  If we start there, I think we might not even use that term “social justice.”