progressives are deeply concerned with injustice and oppression. to the question of social justice it is clear that some groups are oppressed and face injustice on an individual and a systematic way.

this is social justice.
what about justice for an individual?
an individual who is a friend, who is a member of your community?

when progressives look at specific individuals involved specific questions of conflict / harassement / injustice and their interpretation of what is happening is deeply colored by whether they identify either person as a member of an oppressed group. It is hard not to.

Would you lend credence to a white man's claim that a black man had made hostile racisist comments that made him uncomfortable? And that this is unacceptable?

Would you seriously consider a Catholic's claim that anticatholic statements or jokes made them feel harassed and were unacceptable?

Would you consider the claims of a man who told you that the woman who accused him of harrasment was lying?

if progressives do not seriously consider these kinds of claims are they unjust to an individual because of their concept of greater social justice?

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i try to help but i am not convinced that it does any good. my instinctive response to a situation like this is
of a deer in headlights. i am trying to act in real time to anticipate to prepare to protect to encourage to advise
but by the time my brain kicks in it is too late and the damage is done. is it irreparable?

i am tormented by doubts. could i have done more? why didn't i do more? why do i only think now of the thing that should
have been done and said then?

i have always felt strongly that people have to make their own decisions. i can express an opinion but i shouldn't overwhelm them. they have to live with their decision, they have to choose. but maybe i am wrong. maybe all i have done is allow people i care about to drown.

in the movie "Mean Girls" Janice says that there are two kinds of evil people in the world - those that do evil and those that stand by and let evil be done.

i am tormented by the thought that by not doing enough, i have done the latter

what is needed right now is a champion. i am many things but that is not my strength. i am out of my depths.
so i feel like a failure.