Freedom J – Justice

“No one can flatter himself that he is immune to the spirit of his own epoch, or even that he possesses a full understanding of it. Irrespective of our conscious convictions, each one of us, without exception, being a particle of the general mass, is somewhere attached to, colored by, or even undermined by the spirit which goes through the mass. Freedom stretches only as far as the limits of our consciousness.”– Carl Jung, Paracelsus the Physician (1942).

 On Monday 8th April I saw one of the protestors on TV (protest was happening just up the road from my Johannesburg home) state openly, ‘Violence and anarchy is how it will be. We will do violence and bring anarchy until our demands are heard’. Now, we do know that this man and followers do not have the full story. He believes that the opposition party to our governing party is responsible for the mess that their Alexander township is in. It is true that the governing party misappropriated funds for the development of the township. The opposition party has been doing what they can under constraints. I would not be surprised if these protestors are actually governing parties agitators who want to lay the blame elsewhere – pre-election posturing.

Above quote by Albert Camus: ‘Absolute freedom mocks at justice. Absolute justice denies freedom. To be fruitful, the two ideas must find their limits in each other’ –

Nelson Mandela (above): ‘Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to human dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom

MJ D:It’s definitely the ability to live without prejudice – of others and by others

 Jüte S : Freedom means the joy of being able to act freely without any sense of self-inflicted obligation or guilt. (I’ve used her words before; I’m repeating them because of the word joy..)

Thank you for reading – I appreciate your comments –

 

43 Comments on Freedom J Justice

  1. Wonderful quotes, Susan. I hope the protests down the road didn’t turn into destructive anarchy. I fear my country (USA) has forgotten the meaning of both justice and freedom. It’s a heart-breaking time for me and most people I know, but we seem unable to do anything substantial to change things until there is an election. Unfortunately, elections results are bought and scammed. There is less trust than I can remember, but at least the issue of justice is in the news.

    • Thanks Elaine. Some of the protests have been pretty destructive –

      Everyone of every stripe is talking more openly these days about how justice has failed the majority. Only those who’ve got plenty of bucks to pay for lawyers get off, or the case gets postponed – even if they are the ones who should go straight into gaol in their orange onesies.

      Our votes are bought too – I’ve seen it with my own eyes on TV. A VERY powerful man in the president’s inner circle was seen giving people money in rural areas – I had to pause the clip and go back to watch it again, I couldn’t believe my eyes ..

      Pre-election grandstanding goes on apace – 3 weeks to go. Our press and media appears to be pretty free of bias, though I see it creeping in every now and then. The governing party is getting flak left right and centre and it’s ‘interesting’ to see how they attempt to deflect it … and sadly, too many still believe the garbage ..

  2. Every quote is powerful susan, we cannot talk about freedom without justice .. the timing is perfect. I liked the quote the first quote and the Nelson mandela’s quote worth reflecting upon. Thanks for inspiring susan.

    • Thanks Genevive – they’re worth reflecting on – We have Freedom Day coming up, on the 27th April … I’ll be writing about that I guess …

  3. Our supermarket workers went on strike yesterday, looking for just wages and benefits, compared to the company’s profits. They have been successful in keeping most people from crossing the picket line. We apparently understand at a visceral level there is unjustice going on.
    Beth
    https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/

    • When you say ‘they’ have been successful in keeping them from crossing the picket line, do you mean the company has keep them at bay …? I suspect so. Yes, we understand these things at a visceral level – do we pay attention to those primitive and therefore very real levels’ I wonder .. thanks for coming by Beth ..

  5. Coretta Scott King and others were correct about justice. I fought for justice in our neighborhood when Wal-Mart sought to destroy woodlands and wildlife. This was years ago. The cause to protect human and animal life is even more urgent now.

    • Amazing that Walmart didn’t anticipate protests against their inhuman anti-nature profit driven motivations. Great that you fought for it Marian! Like those at Standing Rock – like we do when it is very clear that corporations or govt give not a darn for the wildlife or communities –

  7. “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” ~ Frederick Douglass

    Though I remain convinced of the value in nonviolence, I understand the profound sense of frustration Frederick Douglass was trying to convey in his observation. Violence comes in many forms ~ economic, social, material and physical.

    It’s why I refuse to vote within a system (any system) that normalizes or rationalizes any form of violence (against anyone) as an acceptable means to an end. Within our capitalist systems, which are based on self-interest and profit over people and life, I think it’s worth asking ourselves what we’d be willing to sacrifice for the sake of justice and freedom for others.

    Hope you and everyone else stay safe, Susan.

    • Thanks LB – surely a vote for an opposition party helps lessen the leading party? This is oversimplification I know – especially if an opposition party has their own self interest at heart as well. Thank you for your safe wishes –

      Education for and of the masses is key.

      • I don’t know. Maybe, Susan. . . if it’s a well-informed choice and not just a vote for the opposite side of the same coin (e.g. Republican or Democrat, Libertarian or Republican, Hillary or Bernie ~ all supporters of the same capitalism/imperialist system itself, albeit with some notable variations.)

        During the 2016 elections here in the US, I understood why many peace and social justice activists supported Green Party candidates, Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka and the alternative vision they offered.

        Similarly, and this is based only on what little I’ve read and not on direct observation or experience, I can understand why concerned South Africans would support the newly launched Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party (SRWP).

        I also respect and admire the non-violent activists, journalists, truth-tellers and whistle-blowers, people who risk everything in service to the least among us, in service to peace, in service to truth.

        That said, I choose not to vote because I can’t turn my (inner) authority over to anyone within our oppressive and violent system, which has always been based on worldly power, illusion and lies, never on love or truth.

        Look at the gross injustices journalist Julian Assange, of WikiLeaks, and whistleblower Chelsea Mann have continued to suffer within our system, under both Democrat and Republican rule. Whether we realize it or not, what’s being done to them affects us all.

        Ideally, local elections and/or ballot issues can be more community oriented and are a little different. Sometimes.

        • Let’s hope that our choices are always well informed and that the vote goes to a party who genuinely has the interests of its peoples at the forefront. Too many of the parties are of the same stripe ie feeding at the trough. Maybe the whole electoral system has to be changed – here anyway, when it’s not a party that’s voted for, but for the individual ..

          Thanks for coming by LB. It’s a good hard question – what would I be willing to sacrifice for love and truth to prevail …

  9. It is hard to be free and to realize the injustice we perpetuate onto others, especially unconsciously…

  11. I really resonate with the Camus quote. These are challenging times indeed and we must muster all our strength and courage to navigate.

    • Thanks Deborah – sometimes I get a bit tired of being ‘resilient’ or ‘hopeful’ … but I guess in these particular times, strength and courage is especially called upon –

  12. Such great quotes today! Much like freedom itself, I feel that justice also means different things for different people. Justice, for me, has been to live out my adult life with love, purpose, happiness and health. Had I not achieved (and fought for) this level of freedom (above and below) I fear I might have ended up re-enacting my forebear’s unhappy, often violent, wretched lives … to what I call “the (ancestral) shock of the familiar”.

    And as I don’t want my “yesterdays” to infect my “tomorrows” every so often I choose to re-enter the silence and darkness of my psyche in order to (hopefully) learn to see better in the dark. Whilst Jute’s wise words fill my heart with joy, like Jacqui, I find the words of the protestor you describe, as deeply disturbing. Shadow possession for sure! Love and light, Deborah.

    • Like you I feel the darkness has to be entered for us to see whatever is lurking in the shadows, better. Familiarise ourselves with it, embrace and release it. It is worth fighting for, to release us from the shadows to achieve a measure of light, thereby gaining a personal freedom. An ongoing task in our lives Deborah. May love, purpose, health and happiness be yours – Love & light to you too, Susan

  13. These are fabulous quotes. Some people do not realize that Freedom means Justice for all, no matter which party they represent. Sometimes the world’s mindset becomes scary, but, there is always hope. Thanks for the fantastic reminders. <3

Comments are closed.