By Hai Tran
One of my favourite quotes is “growth and comfort do not co-exist”. I saw this quote on a business networking application three years ago and I loved it so much, I actually got the quote tattooed on me. Upon reflection of how chaotic the year 2020 has been for us all, I am now reminded again of this favourite quote.
Like my colleague Rachelle Paquet has mentioned in her most recent blog post, the impact of COVID-19 on the modernization of the judicial system has been drastic. As of recent, the notoriously medieval processes of the legal system have been greatly adapted to move online in order to protect the health of vulnerable groups in society.
Luckily, the rapid adaptation of legal processes during the pandemic has shown how reform is possible. The increased accessibility of online hearings and online dispute resolution services have the capacity to shed socio-economic barriers, such as those who do not have access to a car, or do not have the financial means to take off work. For those who have limited access to technology, community libraries can help overcome the online barrier once they open again. This increase in accessibility can be a great reform strategy to provide more equal opportunities in pursuing justice. We as a society must push to continue providing accessibility of legal services in this manner and to explore further opportunities for reform. With societal values changing, the laws and processes responsible for representing them are far overdue for a change.
My hope is that when COVID-19 is no longer an emergency, the judicial system seeks out discomfort in order to improve the judicial process in terms of equal opportunity, instead of only adapting when there is forced discomfort. However, I fear that as we move towards “going back to normal”, that these options will revert back to being unavailable. Although the discomfort of social-distancing measures has pushed our judicial systems to grow, we need to find a more lasting discomfort as incentive to keep the newly more accessible services within the legal process.
Similarly, the tragic death of George Floyd that has propelled and pushed the Black Lives Matter movement into headlines all over the world is yet another example of the much-needed reform we need in our institutions. This movement has highlighted the great need for us as a society to reflect on how we must reform systems and consequently, further modernize our systems in order to protect the well-being of marginalized groups. Today, racial injustice manifests not in the form of slavery or genocide, but rather through modernized unseen discrimination. Racism takes shape as differences in salary, health care and even disparities in the judicial process. The plethora of flawed moving parts within the system requires everyone to do their part in order to reform the parts of society they influence.
As weeks go by and I’m seeing less stories, social media posts and conversations about Black Lives Matter, I get a sense that people are slowly beginning to forget and become less vocal about the issues. While it may be a privilege for some to just forget and treat the recent events as a fleeting trend, black people are not entitled to that same privilege. The issues are real, dire and continue to affect black people every day, regardless of whether it is “trending” or not. This is exactly why Black Lives Matter aims to embed itself deep into our values in society as a movement, not a moment. The overwhelming question leading the movement is: How can we create a truly lasting change? Black Lives Matter has made a point to encourage uncomfortable conversations that confront the issues concerning systemic racism. For me, the encouraged discomfort of these confrontations is the perfect time to listen more, learn more and overall become a better ally. We shouldn’t have to wait for tragic deaths for us to have these types of conversations. We should continuously battle and confront our own uncomfortable thoughts and understanding of our flawed system to better improve it.
Now that there is less media coverage on the Black Lives Matter movement, most will likely fall back into their normal way of life. Normalcy is comforting for some, and it is very easy to fall into the trap of complacency but discomfort and recognizing that change is needed is the fuel for progress. Discomfort does not have to be a bad thing and out of it can be a catalyst for growth or more simply said; “growth and comfort do not co-exist.”