Clean The Rug, Expose The Skeletons
A pep talk to raise your voice.
A third of all journalists were killed in Mexico in the year 2020. As per a survey by ABC, 77% of Australians believe that politicians who are involved in pork-barrelling must resign.
The world has seen an increase in issues related to the misuse of power by politicians, celebrities, and police. In India, there have been numerous incidents of journalists being harassed and punished for writing against the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi.
If democracy is really of the people, for the people, and by the people (Abraham Lincoln), then nations like India, Australia, and Mexico have failed their citizens. Corruption is the antichrist of an ideal democracy.
The way, to constrain this abuse is by calling it out and changing archaic laws that protect the rich and powerful. Journalists uncovering dangerous truths need to be safeguarded. so that they can expose stories with the potential to bring down power structures that are eating the society like termites.
Can you imagine the world without Barbara Walters, John Peter Zenger, or Bob Woodward? Thankfully, we have seen an upsurge in street journalism because of social media to expose abuse of power at every level. This change means that police and law enforcement agencies have a more significant responsibility to protect everyone.
Exposure and constraint are two sides of the same coin, but you cannot flip and rely on luck to act based on which side turns up. Instead, you must make an active choice.
If you expose a whistleblower, you kill courage and truth with one blow. If you decide to suppress an allegation, then you are suffocating justice.
It doesn’t matter whether corruption is only being exposed now. Its quiet prevalence has served as a victory for generations of corrupt officials. Printing names of wrong-doers in the press and leaking videos of bribery or sexual misconduct has proven that they cannot hide.
There is no guarantee that the victims of abuse or the public affected by pork-barreling will get justice. But that should not discourage us from calling out the guilty. They must understand their actions come at a cost that looks like a charred reputation, imprisonment, or financial penalties.
Media takes sides. Incidents are broadcasted from a biased view. Does it diminish the role of media? No, because for eternity, news has always been told from the storyteller’s point of view.
Money is the greatest puppet master. Whoever finds the storyteller gets to choose the narrative, its characters, and its motive. But the listeners are also not passive. They are aware of the angles and possess the intellect to introspect them.
Sure, some still don’t think Harvey Weinstein wronged anyone. Cosby’s fans are rejoicing at his acquittal. But both the exposures shook the pillars of the entertainment industry and had a ripple effect that led to justice for victims in similar situations.
It is our duty to call out injustice without any hopes or expectations because the systematic discrimination against color, caste, socio-economic status runs deep.
We will have to stop people from hiding issues under a rug and challenge the laws that protect these people. Typically, an incident might look only politically motivated, but it impacts everyone in society. Some effects will be seen tomorrow and others a decade later, so don’t let anyone tell you that an act of injustice doesn’t matter if it didn’t happen to you.