Are People’s Sense of Justice Rising or Declining as a Result of Current Political and Social Events?

By: Amelia Torry

Introduction

  Most people can agree that in the past few years, the world has been a boiling pot of tension and conflict. Many people cannot share opinions without getting brutally attacked online, and younger populations are starting to realize what is happening around this issue. Whether you’re scrolling on a social media app or going through your friend’s online story, you may have seen more people spreading awareness about the state of the world. It may be different from the usual content you see from your friends, and this raises a question. Are people changing as a result of current events? Do they make us better people? And most importantly, why?

Current Events

Two pressing events that have occurred in the past few months are the implementation of ICE to deport immigrants in the United States and the Israel-Palestine conflict. These events have been the number one headline in every news source and a focus of conversation for the general population. But what makes these events so important that people may change as a result of them? 

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, is a division under the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for enforcing immigration laws. While ICE’s presence has been most prevalent in 2025, the group was established in 2002, after the events of 9/11. Between the years of October 2014 and November 2024, ICE has made approximately 3.62 million detention center transfers and has sent 2.32 million people back to their country of citizenship to people classified as undocumented immigrants. However, this has changed in the past year when ICE detained and deported many documented immigrants and U.S. citizens, causing an outrage among the people of America as seen through resistance,such as the “No Kings” protest and the Los Angeles riots. Many people have deemed ICE to be using illegal and prejudiced methods in their deportation process, resulting in high tensions and hatred between the people of America and the government, who is supporting and funding the organization.

The Israel-Palestine conflict started in 2023, and lately, has only shown small signs of stopping. The United States has provided Israel with billions of dollars of military support each year, with the number increasing since 2023 and  their support for Israel in the war. In addition, President Trump made the decision to bomb 3 major nuclear sites in Iran, a country that has shown support for Palestine in the war. This conflict has been deemed the “Twelve-Day War” between Israel and Iran by the government. Many people see Trump's actions in both wars as seemingly unnecessary and violent, as many people have spoken out about this conflict and voiced support for Palestine. These two events have caused the population to turn over a new leaf and begin to speak out and educate themselves on global issues.

Sense of Justice: Rising vs. Declining

The pressing question now comes into play: Are people’s sense of justice declining or rising as a result of current events? To determine this, it is important to look at people’s actions in the last few months and why they choose to carry them out.

There is a common saying that people do not pay much attention to certain events until it affects them in their life. This mindset has been evident since the beginning of time and especially now. Whether it is on the internet or in your own community, you may have heard people saying that the events of the world do not affect them, and therefore they shouldn’t pay attention. For example, citizens of America who believe they could never be deported believe that what ICE is doing is for the good of the country. To add on, people who could not care less about the war between Israel and Palestine act this way because they are not involved in it. Not only are these attitudes a result of lack of justice, but also a lack of empathy. The feeling of justice is deeply rooted in empathy, and believing that everyone deserves good in the world can change much about how we perceive these real world events.  ones who turn a blind eye at the events of the world, their sense of justice can very much be classified as declining in morality.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who tremendously care about those going through horrible circumstances, those who want to flush out the toxins of the world. These people may be seen on social media, sharing their opinions and even assisting those in conflict. For some, the only reason why they know the current events of the world is because of the voices online. Moreover, people have taken risks to make their voices heard in protests across the United States. The “No Kings” protest had about 5 million attendees, marking a clear shift in people’s attitudes. This evidence makes a clear argument that for many people, their sense of justice has arisen and the question is not why, but how do we fix it?

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that how people respond to the events of the world speaks volumes about human nature and justice. However, whether it seems like people’s sense of justice is increasing or decreasing, it is important to never turn a blind eye to the events occurring in the world. In contrast, problems can be solved the way you see fit, from the smallest issues to the global ones.

References

USAFacts. “What Is ICE and What Does It Do?” USAFacts, 27 Aug. 2024, usafacts.org/articles/what-is-ice-and-what-does-it-do/.

BBC. “Israel and the Palestinians: History of the Conflict Explained.” BBC, 8 Aug. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgr71z0jp4o.

Carnegie, Megan. “Gen Z: How Young People Are Changing Activism.” BBC, 8 Aug. 2022, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220803-gen-z-how-young-people-are-changing-activism.