Family and Economic Justice
By Pauline McCollough — June 15, 2025 Writing Workshop
Written during a Speak Up writing community workshop.
What is Family? Write about your family.
Family to me doesn’t just have to be blood related. Family can also be non-blood, unrelated people who are “chosen” family members, those who may be as close and as willing to be there for you than any blood related family member may be. Someone who attempts to understand you and who accepts you for you. Someone who you accept them as they are, mishaps and all. People who you unconsciously take under your wings, and they do the same for you, with each giving each other that loving kindness and that tough love when needed. Family—not only blood, but also those that are chosen—have that friendship quality, but it goes beyond. If it’s a blood related relative who is close, they can muster up that friendship quality. And then, there are the friends who have become close, chosen, and family.
Write about “making ends meet.” Or about economic justice.
Economic justice is one thing of many that the leaders of this country hasn’t understood—or tried to understand—at all. Because of this, economic justice being achieved has a long ways to go before it will ever be purely appreciated, or wanted, no matter how much people have struggled and suffered for it and continue to do so for the lack of it. It seems that leaders and politicians on both sides of the aisles talk out of both sides of their mouths, making vague promises that they don’t intend to keep for the ones beneath them. At the same time, the ones who are affected by the economic injustice tend to turn and strike against each other instead of pulling together to rise up against the ones who caused them to be in the situations and positions they are in. Or they continually speak on how broke the system is yet not speak out against the system or take any action against the system. I believe when the ones on the top with the power to change things open their eyes to see how unfair the economy is and when the ones below come together with the willingness to speak out together, economic justice will finally be achieved.