Everyone deserves justice, which is fundamentally about
fairness and equal treatment; however, many people are denied this fundamental
right.
Hundreds of groups worldwide are actively involved in the
struggle for justice, tackling structural injustices in different fields,
including human rights, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and
environmental protection.
However, because structural injustices and institutional
defects make it difficult for justice to be realized, the promise of justice
frequently seems unfulfilled, despite legal ideals like "equal justice
under law" being embodied in national symbols and oaths. Millions of
people lack genuine access to the legal system, particularly in civil matters today.
Groups like Amnesty International and the International
Commission of Jurists work to expose injustices and pressure governments to
act, particularly in cases of grave human rights violations such as genocide
and crimes against humanity, yet the world is becoming more dangerous.
In the United States, organizations supported by Stand
Together invest in initiatives aimed at ensuring equal justice under the law,
promoting community policing, and reforming the criminal justice system through
research and policy development, yet many people are denied justice.
As people push for greater involvement in decisions
affecting their lives, peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights
defenders, the underprivileged, defenseless individuals, and civil society
groups are increasingly targeted.
Similar to the biblical quote "the harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few," it appears that international law
and adjudication are frequently insufficient to rectify widespread injustices,
particularly when violence increases and legal channels become unavailable.
In reality, the lack of justice shows up as rifts in society,
as Isaiah and other prophetic voices have bemoaned the lack of justice and the
authorities' inability to enforce it, pointing out that peace can’t exist in
the absence of justice.
Therefore, fighting for justice involves more than just
combating systemic injustice; it also involves protecting the freedom to
organize and speak out against it. This disparity highlights a significant gap
between the promise and reality of justice, where rights exist in theory but
are now only a pipe dream.
Even while the legal system appears to be effective, when
enforcement is biased and affected by wealth, power, or convenience, it can
turn into a performative gesture rather than a legitimate arbiter of justice.
According to this viewpoint, the mere observation of injustice necessitates a
standard of justice that surpasses the defective structures we design.
Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. emphasized the
inextricable link between justice and peace, stating, "There can be no
justice without peace. And there can be no peace without justice.” However, despite
such calls, many communities continue to experience systemic oppression and injustices
faced by Native Americans, Blacks, and Hispanics.
Since the promise of justice is still unfulfilled, it will
continue to elude the poor, other races, and the defenseless. However, regardless
of the circumstances, Jesus’ love will be our comfort, hoping "We shall
overcome someday."
