Treat Me Right, Not Politely

Racheal, a social justice blogger, attests in her blog post that the social justice movement is misunderstood as a campaign for a ‘nicer’ world. The movement actually seeks to create a more equal world, where everyone is treated more fairly. Equating these two ideologies as one undermines what the social justice movement is working towards. Oppressors are able to perform unacceptable acts against others and cover up their wrongdoing by doing it in a polite manner. This confusion leads to the misinterpretation that privilege is being treated nicely, as opposed to being given rights. It also represses the oppressed as society expects them to be nice to their oppressors. Rachel is essentially aiming to puncture the idea being polite is the same as being ethically good in order to promote the latter.