Social Justice Warriors

The idea that the social issues plaguing society need to be fought and curbed at every turn if there is any hope that they will be conquered is not novel, but it seems that there has been a new strain of those with this belief that have become both a source of admiration and disdain. Of course I'm referring to the general group known as "social justice warriors". One's opinion on them largely depends on your own political leanings. If you view racial, sexual, and religious discrimination as very serious issues you might see them as a very positive influence, but if you aren't as inclined to see such matters as necessarily prominent, you may see them as a nuisance. That's a significant oversimplification of the matter, but I feel it is sufficient for the time being. My personal opinion of social justice warriors or "SJW"s as the designation has often been shortened to, is that for the most part they are a positive influence on a world that is in many regards just as volatile on social issues as it has ever been. The argument has been made that many of the issues SJWs rally against are no longer problematic or as problematic as they were in the past, thus making their activity unnecessary and in many cases just an annoying distraction. I don't entirely agree with that notion, but I'll admit that there are some instances when priorities seem to be out of order or certain issues become the focal point that really aren't as big of a deal as they're made out to be. Still, on the whole I would say they are a good thing. Consciousness of social issues is crucial if there is to be any hope of overcoming them, and if individuals wish to take up the initiative to take action and spread awareness, that is something that I welcome with open arms. However, as with any movement, social or otherwise, the question of whether ones actions are helping or hindering the cause always comes into play. Many self described social justice warriors have become known for their outlandish appearance, oversensitivity, and association with views perceived as radical, causing many to question whether they should take the entire lot seriously. My view on that, having many acquaintances and friends in the demographic and somewhat identifying as one myself (if not at least generally supportive), is that this perception is indicative simply of a very vocal minority that doesn't represent the entirety of the movement. This still doesn't do much to stop some people from cherry picking certain individuals and instances and using them to dismiss and paint a picture of the general group as just a bunch of "whiney annoying liberals". There have been many other things said about the social justice crowd but I'm not going to get bogged down in the disparagement aspect of the situation. Instead, the underlying mentality is definitely worth getting into. Social justice warriors are far from a new thing, in fact as far as I can tell they've been around since before I was born. I make that assertion based on an awareness of mentions of the general culture (largely surrounding the idea of the college campus crowd) from some instances in the early 90s. But I would say it goes back further than that as well, all the way back to the counter culture movements of the 1960s that my current city gained a bit of a reputation as a hot bed for and still seems to retain a substantial residual mentality of to this day. The only thing that's really new is the terminology. "Social justice" has existed as long as the concept of political correctness has been around, and the idea that "pc" culture has gotten out of hand is also nothing new. There seems to be almost a kind of general amnesia on the matter, but I would just ascribe that to the fact that many people either don't have that good of a memory, or are simply selective in what they choose to retain. As with many things, the rise of online culture has somewhat changed the social landscape, allowing for information to be spread at a much faster rate than ever before. Almost the second a protest, march, rally, or anything else of that nature begins, everyone seems to be aware of it. Conversely, anytime anything goes awry, that is spread just as quickly, which is what I would attribute a large amount of the criticism to. In the early days of news broadcasting, there were limited sources of information and for the most part coverage was unbiased. The case is very different now and many people surround themselves with outlets that confirm their own views. If one sees social justice warriors as just a big pain in the ass, they're likely to gravitate towards outlets that confirm this notion. Just as well, if one is generally supportive of the social justice movement, they might create an echo chamber that reflects their own implicit bias. The big problem with all of that is that it perpetuates a cycle of misinformation and widens the gap between people, leading to further and further skewed perspectives on the reality of what's going on. I myself try my best not to stay in an echo chamber and have at least given opposing voices the grace of being heard out for the sake of having a better grasp of the bigger picture. From what I can tell by those efforts is this: the general trend of society, at least American society, is moving to the left. For some this is occurring rapidly, but for others the process is more gradual. Even many of those with traditionally far right wing views have become more tolerant of certain things such as homosexuality, drug use, and other concepts that have been seen as taboo. However, with the general move towards progressivism, there has also been a resurgence in fighting it in many circles. I believe this is where all of the recent rise in right wing rhetoric stems from. In my mind the "Trump phenomena" isn't indicative of the general trend of society, but rather a reaction to the direction. Granted it's a pretty strong reaction, but none the less, it's people attempting to swim against the current. Much of the right wing rhetoric focuses on a disdain for social justice warriors, involving all kinds of articles, videos, and of course memes disparaging the entire movement and those involved with it. The best response to hall this, in my mind, is two fold: first is to stay the course. Giving up on a cause that you know is important and well intentioned just because some are mocking it shouldn't be considered a feasible option. The second part doesn't necessarily apply to everyone, it's more of an "if the shoe fits" kind of thing, which is to try to be more mindful in your approach and tactics, being sure to consider how you will be received by the general public. If you look or act silly, what you stand for will be subsequently seen as such. In conclusion, social justice is important. As far as society has come, there is still a long way to go, and there is still much to be done in terms of getting us there. As time goes by and the world progresses, so too will the dialogue on what is or is not acceptable in terms of behavior advance. Change is not something that should be typically feared, but it is something that should be carefully guided, and as long as steady hands are doing so, I'm confident in a very bright future.