No Justice, No Peace; Know Justice, Know Peace
In the Preamble of the United States Constitution one of the main purposes of the Government is to “ESTABLISH JUSTICE”. Justice is a balance of power and resources for the people. It is a balance of rights and responsibilities for democratic citizens. Justice is necessary because it creates a peaceful society; “No justice, no peace; know justice, know peace.” The history of the United States shows that there is always room for progress in the areas of Justice.
We can think about justice in many ways. All of the categories of justice should “promote the general welfare” in order to “form a more perfect union” in society. Three important categories of justice are; 1) Social justice 2) Economic Justice 3) Correctional justice. At Mountain VIew we talk about the value of quality education as a foundation for justice.
*This publication is ongoing as a collaborative work of Government student journalists. Additional examples will be added in the month of May 2022
Examples of Social Justice: fair opportunity and civil rights
- Quality Education is a civil right.
- Voting rights are a form of social justice.
- Freedom of speech and belief.
- Right to Culture
- Rights to Property, Privacy and Life
- The Supreme Court is preparing to overturn the 1973 decision of Roe vs. Wade
Education is not a privilege. It is a human right. LINK
*submitted by Student Journalists Sophie & Brandon
https://www.right-to-education.org/page/understanding-education-right
- The right to education is legally guaranteed for all without descrimination as interpreted by the US Constitutional courts.
- The state has the obligation to protect,respect and fulfil the right to education
- Some citizens are choosing private options because local public schools are not funded or do not teach in ways that support their specific cultural perspectives.
After I read the article about Students have a constitutional right to a “basic” education I understand that it is important to have an quality education but, It seems that economy has a lot to do with it because in some countries and regions where the economy is not fairly distributed, there are schools that need improvement.
A federal court has ruled that students in the low performing Detroit, Michigan, School system have a right to expect to learn to read and write in their public school. .The justices said that the Supreme Court has never issued a direct opinion but it is implied in the US Constitution. I think we as students deserve a quality education because we can learn better and by being educated we can become a better citizen.
In the opinion published recently, former Secretary of Education under President Barrack Obama, Arne Duncan, says that the right to quality education should be an expressed written amendment in the U.S. Constitution.
My question is how does the state helps the students who needs special needs or require more services if the economy of the region is bad?
How does having low performing teachers affect students? It is hard to hire quality teachers if the economy and resources of a school district are poor.
In my point of view here in Fairfax County we always find our ways, there is always choices because we have a good economic that’s why I think that states
What Happens When Access to Free Speech Becomes Limited at Schools?
*This contribution is submitted by staff editor Patrick
During July 2021 to March, the latest rise of a movement to ban books in America would be pushed by the current regional conservitive jurisdictions. The independent nonprofit organization PEN America would report that 1,000 to 1,500 forms of literature would be banned across 26 different states. Very memorable and famous titles such as ‘The Hate You Give’, ‘Beyond Magenta’, ‘The Bluest Eye’ and many more notable pieces of social justice books. This ban established during 2021 would mostly affect those conservertive states such as Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and Oklahoma. According to The PEN America Texas would lead entirely in this ban with 713 book ban incidents, Pennsylvania with 456 incidents and lastly Florida with 204 incidents.
The topics discussed in these various forms of literature can be deemed as ‘inappropriate’ and or ‘offensive’ to those who are in support of conservative ideologies. Topics referring to ‘Sexuality’, ‘Racism’, ‘ Gender’ and many other forms of identity would be referred to in the banned texts. The Conservatives point of view is that these forms of educational texts will influence their children with ideologies that either the parent doesn’t believe or want for their child. This would leave the Libral section with many upset families across school boards. The Liberals see this push of conservatives ideologies as a threat to their child’s education and standards and basic civil rights protected under the 1st amendment. Liberals across America would refer to this very idea pushed by the conservatives as a “limitation of education” that would effectively turn public schools into forums for cultural propaganda.
Both the Democratic Party and Republican party are unstable when it comes to decisions of education. Both parties make push and pull statements towards each other, only feeding each other with reactions. A moderate solution to help accommodate all political aspects of this situation wouldn’t be difficult. Coming to an agreement with private businesses such as library databases that provide schools with our literature and communicate that parent’s want filtered access to their child’s education. This solution would compromise both the Libral and Conservative narrative. A solution to this current state of the book ban could easily be solved by this certain compromise of library databases and allowing our parent’s and or guardian to review your litterature.
The Politics of Justice: President Biden Corrects a Social and Economic Injustice
*This reporting was submitted by staff editor WammyJammy
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-transgender-military-.html
During the Trump-era, there was a law passed (link) on transgender people and their right to join the military. He also wanted to stop the military health programs from paying the costs of current military personnel with transgenderism, like surgeries and hormonal treatment. Trump said that paying for this type of healthcare would be a “tremendous” financial disruption. In fact personal discretion for health benefits such as massages and spa treatments is covered under military health benefits with no apparent disruption. It is irrational and prejudiced that some health costs are more disruptive than others.
“Promote the general welfare” is part of the constitution. Are we really honoring that by deciding what or what not to let people have for their health. People who have a history of gender dysphoria, or are currently experiencing distress or dissatisfaction over their gender or those who successfully transitioned were banned from US Military service.Who are we to control what people think is best for their health? In fact when we make what should be a personal decision into a public decision because of politics it has very negative effects.
It is shown in studies that 98% of transgender adults that experienced discrimination have thought about suicide, and 51% attempted. The US army believes mental health is just as important as physical, then why reject our trans troops this right? This is a matter of Social and Economic justice and they are very much tied together in this situation.
Fortunately, our current President has reversed these laws. He saw how these issues are damaging equity. In his own words he says “What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform”. If people want to fight for our country and they are perfectly healthy, we should let them, regardless of race and gender. All should be welcome. After Biden fixed this error, they reexamined the files and touched bases with the people who were denied or discharged from the army.
There is a basic social right to culture: this is exemplified by the civil rights struggles of indigenous peoples.
Examples of Economic Justice: fair access to resources
- Quality education is an economic investment that creates economic opportunities
- The corporations that sell utilities like electricity, water, and basic services. How to avoid monopoly and keep fair pricing for essential services.
- Gas price inflation leading also to higher food prices.
- Minimum wage laws.
- Interest rates and borrowing.
- Federal Student Loans.
- Taking care of the Homeless. LINK VIDEO
Federal Government Regulates the Water Supply in the Southwest
The Climate Crisis Forces Tough Decisions: Link Farmers in Arizona are facing drought and limited resources.
Lake Mead was created in the 1930’s by building the Hoover Dam and it is the largest resevoir of fresh water in the United States . Today it is at historic lows with just 35% capacity. The Government has imposed restrictions on the irrigation of land by farmers for the first time. This type of economic justice that makes compromises in the face of limited supply and high demand is also known as environmental justice.
The federal government on Monday declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering mandatory water consumption cuts for states in the Southwest, as climate change-fueled drought pushes the level in Lake Mead to unprecedented lows. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US by volume, has drained at an alarming rate this year. At around 1,067 feet above sea level and 35% full, the Colorado River reservoir is at its lowest since the lake was filled after the Hoover Dam was completed in the 1930s. Lake Powell, which is also fed by the Colorado River and is the country’s second-largest reservoir, recently sank to a record low and is now 32% full.
LINK:https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-opinion-us-drought-southwest-arizona-water-crisis/
Question and Opinion of student contributor: Berlyn
How is the water distributed in the zones where it is needed?
Do you know what water source do you have?
Which states have the greatest availability of water?
Analyzing this topic, what is happening in Colorado is worrying because without water we cannot survive. Water is an element of nature, an integral part of natural ecosystem, essential for the maintenance and reproduction of life on the planet. If there is water shortage in the United States which is such a developed country then what about other nations where the economy and resources are not as abundant? This is a challenge of environmental justice and climate change.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE: Food Industry Workers are Unperpaid
*This example submitted by student contributor Cristina
How do you quantify dignified, essential work? For food retail and hospitality workers in the age of Covid-19 and rising food prices, this descriptor does not translate into better wages. A new report from the Economic Policy Institute and The Shift Project of Harvard University details the low wages at dozens of firms throughout the industry and skewers the notion that profit-driven price inflation is due to workers’ wage demands.
Low wages are the norm in the service sector. The industry accounts for 20% of the U.S. workforce, including 7 out of 10 of the lowest paid jobs. This includes food, drug, discount and mass market retail, food service and hospitality and logistics/delivery. The EPI/Shift project data is based on extensive surveys of almost 21,000 hourly service-sector workers at 66 firms across the U.S. At least 100 respondents from each firm were surveyed, for an average of 317 per firm.
My opinion is that everyone should have a balance and fairness in our salaries, doing the same thing and not going through any discrimination since some people are exploited by some companies where they receive a low percentage of their salary and that the work is very heavy.
My questions: Why do some companies have a low salary percentage when they have a high demand for their products?
Corrective Justice: fair treatment , punishment and protection of the rights of the accused. Restoring the right relationship.
- Quality education brings corrective justice and helps prevent criminal activity. Education restores the right relationship.
- Comparing types of justice with gang members; The big problem in El Salvador and the community solution in Los Angeles.
- Procedural Justice; innocence until proven guilty.
- Checks and Balances: how do the powers of government meet corrective justice?
- Id perfect correction ever possible? How do we resore the relationship with mercy?
The Case of Mellisa Lucio; Hispanic Mother Facing the Death Penalty
Mellisa Lucio is the first woman of Hispanic descent to be sentenced to death in Texas. She was convicted of capital murder after the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah, who was found to have scattered bruising in various stages of healing, as well as injuries to her head and contusions of the kidneys, lungs and spinal cord. Prosecutors said that Mariah’s injuries were the result of physical abuse, while Lucio’s attorneys say that Mariah’s death was caused by a fall down the stairs two days before her death.
The accusations against her are not entirely true and the conviction violated procedural corrective justice. Her children and lawyers appealed to the court and Governor for clemency to postpone the death sentence, this means that her case will be investigated even more to give a final decision.
https://innocenceproject.org/melissa-lucio-9-facts-innocent-woman-facing-execution/
I think that what happened to George Floyd is an example of social justice and corrective justice because after his death many people came together regardless of race or color to protect justice for his death. – Lucrecia
Who was George Floyd? He was an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer.
How and when did he Die? He died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest after a store clerk suspected that Floyd may have used a counterfeit twenty dollar bill, on May 25, 2020.
What was the result of his death? the result was protests and the police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested, tried, found guilty and convicted of violating corrective procedural justice.
CORRECTIVE JUSTICE at the GLOBAL LEVEL
What is a war crime?
War crimes are those violations of international humanitarian law (treaty or customary law) that incur individual criminal responsibility under international law. As a result, and in contrast to the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity, war crimes must always take place in the context of an armed conflict, either international or non-international. -United Nations
https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2022/05/12/video-soldados-rusos-matan-civiles-saquear-negocio-afueras-kyiv-trax/
The latest news in this video is that we see how the military soldiers of Russia attack two civilians in the street from behind. Justice says that it is a war crime. Authorities are investigating that this is a crime. It clearly shows they also break the rules of a war being broken. The first war crimes trials are being held in Ukraine in May. My question is why didn’t they find a solution until now? How can we allow such a war? – student contributor Carlos
