In a column by Garry Gamble he equated Social Justice training to Hitler’s Nazi Germany. He claimed that both agendas included the topic “Race Relations,” ergo they are moral equivalents.
The Nazis viewed the Aryan race as superior to all others. Per the website of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, “The party platform embodies racism. It demands racial purity in Germany; proclaims Germany’s destiny to rule over inferior races; and identifies Jews as racial enemies.” That’s what Hitler was pushing, and history knows the atrocities committed in the name of racial purity.
So what is the Social Justice message? To learn about it, I attended the public presentation by Bill Blackwell last week. I heard that Social Justice is about fairness, justness and equal treatment and opportunity for all.
My takeaway was that in the context of a learning environment, we are encouraged to respect each other and understand that we all come from different backgrounds that color our perspectives. Different, whether by race, income level, education, or sex, does not mean inferior.
As one attendee pointed out, Social Justice is pretty similar to the Golden Rule, “Treat others as you yourself would be treated.” It’s basic human decency and kindness. I first learned this lesson in my Fundamentalist Christian church in Kentucky about 50 years, and it is a major tenet of many of the world’s religions.
Do we really view a discussion about equality and respect to be as threatening as the teachings of Nazi Germany? The subjects might sound similar, but the messages are polar opposites. By Gamble’s logic, if a disparaging, untrue story is written about, say, parents, well, we better not write any more stories about parents! When, in truth, the opposing viewpoint desperately needs to be told. Scratch below the surface of the topic, and let’s discuss the actual content.
Janice Latz
Grand Marais
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