Linda Schwaar English 11 Period: 3B October 23, 2013 Social Injustice We need to start talking about inequality again;

we need to start talking about the inequalities and unfairness and the injustices of an excessively divided society, divided by wealth, by opportunity, by outcome, by assets and so forth once said by Tony Judt. Many people say that life isnt fair, that it is a waste of time to pursue a fair and equal life for you and everyone around you. Life may not be fair, but people, as humans, have the right to a just life. Human beings have the responsibility to know their rights that they may continue the pursuit of happiness as so stated in the Declaration of Independence. Injustice in life has occurred throughout history but has not ceased. Social injustice transpired throughout The Crucible as well. I believe people have the right to be heard and the responsibility to speak out. I also believe that the Salem witch trials would have resulted differently if citizens practiced their ability to speak out against social injustice. The Salem witch trials took place in the year 1692. Later, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence made it known to the citizens of the United States that they have the right to speak up against social injustices. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security (Declaration of Independence). This states that if a person has the ability to take action, they have the responsibility to take such an action. If the government is not upholding the law then the people have the responsibility to overthrow the existing government and change it to the extent of it being just. This action, of over throwing the government, would take speaking out toward the injustice.
1

Some people have used the right to speak up when they feel injustice is at hand. A Christian church found the controversial remarks of a reporter offensive (Terkel). I feel it was an unwarranted attack on Christians, and I felt like something needed to be said (Terkel). In this case the out spoken word was humiliating toward the reporter by posting the remarks on a marquee. However, he spoke up when the reporter was being unjust in his remarks toward human rights. On a personal level, I believe there are a time and a place for everything. There is a time to be silent and a time to be heard. If a society began to create a way of life that was unjust then common people have the responsibility to speak up. This does not mean to humiliate the people who are serving the injustice but to make known in a respectable manner what the issue is. Let people know that authorities are distributing unmerited ways of life. Once the problem is known and the voice is heard then things can change for the better. A popular Disney movie, Newsies, says, Sometimes, all it takes is a voice, one voice that becomes a hundred, and then a thousand, unless its silenced (Ortega). Other people may be feeling the same way, they want to change the problem, but they are afraid of what the consequences are. If you speak up then this sparks a chain reaction, to get others to join you in the act of standing up for what is just. In The Crucible many characters experienced social injustice. Those accused of witchcraft that were treated unfair may be due to the fact that the towns people of Salem feared the idea that there is a possibility of such witchcraft. Many innocent towns people died because of this while many more lied to save their skin. When a towns person claims they have made deals with the devil and have conversed with the devil they are also condemning others who would have conversed with the devil also. Some towns people saw that unjust, that each person should speak for themselves.

John Proctor and Corey Giles are prefect examples of letting each person speak for themselves. In act three Giles refuses to give the name of man, knowing that if he did so the man would have to face the court. Giles saw no reason this innocent man would have to face the court so he states, I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wifes name once and Ill burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute (Miller 90). Because of his actions the officials of the court tortured Giles until death trying to get the name from him. Giles protected the name from the injustice of the court. John Proctor also took the course of action to protect peoples names as well as keeping the church from humiliating him when unnecessary. John Proctor states, I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! He goes on saying, You will not use me! It is no part of salvation that you should use me! He continues to testify, Beguile me not! I blacken all of them when this is nailed to the church the very day they hang for silence (Miller 132). If more people of Salem spoke out they might have died, but they would have died for a noble cause. It is better to die for what is right than to die a liar. To conclude, social injustice has taken place throughout history and it continues to ensue today. There were people accused of false doings and people paid the price for such actions. Today people face the choice to stand up for what is right in different fashions. We have the responsibility to take action to make this nation and to try and make this world a just place to live in. In Salem, these people had the same responsibility. They had the right to speak up against the social injustice of the witch trails. Many people chose not to speak up, but those who did were not killed in vain. Social injustice is not something to be feared. It is something to be confronted.

To confront it is to show that there is hope for a better way of life. It will help you and others around you continue in the pursuit of happiness.