It is important to protect yourself, but at what cost?
Should self-preservation trump protection of others, or is it better to work for win-win results.
I was reminded of this when I saw an individual praised for her accomplishments. Truly the accomplishments were worth praising, but I also know that this individual often chose self-preservation over the welfare of others. Was that right? Why did she do it?
Analysis of the situation over years makes me believe that this individual grew up in a wealthy White supremacist culture that often stepped on others to get what they wanted. She's a person of privilege, one of those people who often stays silent about that privilege, and while this individual has certainly done some good, her complicity and silence have paved the way to injustice as well.
Yet, can one person solve all problems? Can one person block every injustice that occurs?
Since I stand a distance from this situation, I am simply watching to see how it unravels over time. I am continually weighing the positives and negatives of the situation, while all the time, recognizing that this person could do both. She could continue with the good she's doing while also having the courage to stand up to the injustice that she's allowed to happen, the injustice she has stayed silent about.
In my own world, I have mostly decided to do both--to speak up honestly when I am witness to injustice and to try to do good too. It's true that I have not always been successful, and that when I spoke out about injustice, my words were often met with pushback and harsh action, but I believe that's what we must do, and the more people that do that, the greater justice and courage to speak out there will be.
This is not the kind of grave situation that is criminal or life-ending, but instead the gnawing situation of efforts that feed injustice rather than work against it. In time, I will likely have a greater perspective on the situation, but for now I will simply bear witness to the events from the background where I watch it. What will happen? Time will tell.