It is something I have come to know well that the more I learn and the more I read, the more anger, frustration, and worrying would become part of who I am. But I know it is necessary and I, for one, am glad. This thought is well corroborated by my professors, who end lecture by telling us to not feel discouraged or disheartened, that they recognize how burdensome it is for us to learn about and consistently think about all the injustices in the world, that we need to understand that we are doing exactly what we need to do by coming to class and doing readings.
And if you are a strong believer in the idea that nurturing our human faculties will strengthen our human dignity, and have accepted the burden of knowing, you will find reassurance in John Stuart Mill’s ideas: “It is indisputable that the being whose capacities of enjoyment are low, has the greatest chance of having them fully satisfied; and a highly endowed being will always feel that any happiness which they can look for, as the world is constituted, is imperfect. But they can learn to bear its imperfections, if they are at all bearable; and they will not make them envy the being who is indeed unconscious of the imperfections…”
But deciding on how to bear those imperfections is the most difficult for me. Some days I choose to nap through my concerns; on other days, when I feel braver, I reflect upon them and write. The most successful solution is usually congregating with my group of friends, who have also understood that reading and learning brings many afflictions, but that we are in too far to just turn away. We have conversations that don’t necessarily make us see the bright side of things, but they do bring some hope and better understanding that can help appease our thoughts for some time.
Trent Radio Community Outreach Development Manager Mauricio Interiano feels a similar way. It is why he came up with the idea of hosting a Radio Project Day dedicated to social justice. It will take place on Wednesday February 22nd from 9am to 6pm. The schedule for this day will be subbed by programmers who are interested, passionate, and dedicated to social justice organizations, movements, and/or studies. Make sure to tune in.
Listening to others who care while acknowledging the weight carried by these fighters for social justice can turn anger into inspiration and empowerment.
After these lively hours of discussion are over at 6pm, Trent Radio will also be broadcasting the Homelessness Marathon. This year, the Homelessness Marathon will be hosted by 107.3 FM in St John, New Brunswick. This yearly event aims to raise awareness about homelessness in Canadian communities.
Our attitudes allude to Mill’s principles. We can feel happiness, of the painful kind, of the imperfect sort. Finding others who find themselves in the same situation is a way of bearing with these imperfections.
Part of what makes ideas on social justice so emotionally degrading is the loneliness one can feel when thinking about injustice. You might feel you are the only one who cares. But please know that if there are thousands of books, documentaries, shows, organizations, friends, and student-run radio stations that have accepted the burden of learning and thinking, you must surely not be alone. Join me in tuning in to 92.7 CFFF FM Trent Radio in
Peterborough.