Month: June 2026

 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

This quote is by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.  As one of the well-known leaders of the civil rights movement, he devoted a great deal of his time and energy working toward justice, equal treatment, and equal opportunities for all people.

Unjust actions and policies on a national and international level are the ones we most often hear about.  Those actions and policies have done a great deal of harm to countless people throughout history, including in the present.  These include injustices based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, and religious affiliation.  I’m thankful for the positive changes that have happened in many of these areas, but there is always more that needs to be done to stop the harm that many people must endure.

We don’t hear as much about injustices that individuals do to each other, which of course are also wrong.  Emotionally and physically abusive behavior and bullying are some of the harsher forms of injustice that occur on an individual level.  Being unfair, judging others, and even gossiping also fit within what Dr. King refers to as injustice anywhere.  When I say “even gossiping,” it’s because too many people don’t consider gossiping to be harmful.  On the contrary, people who are talked about negatively are definitely harmed.  Frequently people who gossip about others say things that they don’t know the full picture about and that often are not based on fact.  And many times people who have heard the gossip start avoiding the person spoken about or treating them negatively in other ways. 

Bullying, emotional abuse, unfairness, judging others, and gossip also happen far too often on the internet.  There is so much information on the internet that is fact-based and useful, but there is also much misinformation, disinformation, and content that has the purpose of hurting others.  I believe that these are also threats to justice, to use Dr. King’s words.

It’s essential for all of us to take care to question whether we are being unjust in any way, including by being unfair or judgmental.  It’s also important that we help our children and grandchildren by modeling fairness and acceptance.  In that way, we will help them to develop the virtues of being fair and just, leading to a better future for themselves and for the people with whom they interact.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

This quote is by Barack Obama, who was President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He continues to be involved in important work, including speaking about preserving our democracy, as well as being involved in philanthropy, writing, and making documentaries.  I consider him to have been one of the most effective Presidents during my lifetime.

This quotation resonates with me because of its emphasis on the importance of our endeavoring to add to that which is hopeful in our world.  When we’re feeling down, it can be hard to find the motivation to, as Obama says, “get up and do something”; it can be hard even to have an idea of what to do.  Asking for guidance through prayer and trying to listen to our inner voice can help.

Once we have an idea of what we might do to “go out and make some things happen,” as Obama says, we need to remember to not put unreasonable expectations on ourselves and to take things a step at a time.  Even those beginning steps can result in our feeling more vital and therefore more hopeful.

It can help us to have a sense of purpose by becoming involved in causes we believe in and by assisting others through various organizations such as food shelves, children’s tutoring programs, and other types of volunteering.  It’s easy to search online to learn about volunteer opportunities in the communities where we live.  I believe we can also decrease the tendency for feeling hopeless by the choices we make for how we spend our free time, such as by finding and pursuing personal interests that are meaningful to us, reading well written books, and spending time in nature, all of which can lift our spirits and thus help us to be more hopeful.

Another way we can help ourselves feel more hopeful is to limit the amount of news we read or watch.  It’s one thing to be adequately informed; it’s another to read about or watch repeated coverage of the same happenings.  This repetition tends to multiply the negative effects news has on us emotionally.  Therapists frequently recommend limiting exposure to news to their clients who struggle with depression and/or anxiety.

My hope is that all of us take Obama’s words to heart and find and pursue ways that add hope to our world.