Great Justice Quotes for Kids

“That’s not fair!”  You may have said this 1 or 1,000 times in your life, right?  Or maybe even 1,000 timea last week!

Justice helps us figure out what is fair, what is right and what is wrong. When justice is working, everyone feels like they are being treated fairly.  Rules and laws help people figure out what is ‘just’ or fair.

Why is justice important?

• It makes sure that people are treated fairly
• It gives everyone the same chance to succeed
• It makes the world a better place for all of us

In fact, without justice, the world might just fall apart!

Justice is not just something that is “out there”, it is something that you can practice everyday!  How?

• Respect all people, even if they are different from you
• Help others if they are being treated unfairly
• Think what is best for everyone instead of just what is best for you
• Obey and play by the rules at all times
• Include others in your activities; don’t ignore people
• Be honest and fair in all that you do

How you treat others and whether or not you treat them fairly will have a big impact on your life, your future and the lives of others.  If you look at many of the people we’ve written about on InspireMyKids, you will find that many are very just and fair people.

Your school, home and community need you this way!  So, when it comes to justice, don’t look around, look in the mirror!

Now here are some great justice quotes for kids:

• “Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” ― William Penn
• “If you want peace work for justice.” – Pope John Paul II
• “Justic cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Truth never damages a cause that is just.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
• “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Do not make the mistake of thinking that you have to agree with people and their beliefs to defend them from injustice.” ― Bryant McGill
• “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.” – George Washington
• “I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.” – Micah 6:8
• “Be just & merciful & brave.” – CS Lewis
• “Justice delayed, is justice denied.” – William Gladstone
• “Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.” – Theodore Roosevelt
• “Where mercy is shown, mercy is given.” – Duane Dog Chapman
• “Courage is of no value unless accompanied by justice; yet if all men became just, there would be no need for courage.” Agesilaus the Second
• “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” Pope Francis
• “Justice is the constant and perpetual will to allot to every man his due.” – Domitus Ulpian
• “If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.” – Francis Bacon
• “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “When it comes to justice, don’t look around, look in the mirror.” – Michael Stutman
• “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.” – Winston Churchill
• “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.” – John Stuart Mill
• “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” – U.S. Declaration of Independence
• “The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good–and how he treats people who can’t fight back.” – Abigail Van Buren
• “When you’ve…walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.” – Michelle Obama
• “Fair and softly goes far.” – Miguel de Cervantes
• “Play fair.  Don’t hit people.  Say your sorry when you hurt somebody.”  – Robert Fulghum
• “Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.” – Victor Hugo
• “Fair means everyone gets what they need. And the only way to get what you need is to make it happen yourself.” – Rick Riordan
• “Let us not seek the Republican answer nor the Democratic answer but the right answer.” – John F. Kennedy

Now here are a few videos that explain what justice is all about:

Additional Resources:

• Here is a link to our inspirational stories and posts about justice and fairness
• Here is a link to our other articles featuring quotes for kids

Topics for Discussion:

• Which of the justice quotes above do you like the most?  Why?
• Have you ever treated anyone unfairly?  Explain.  How did it them feel?  How did you feel?
• How do you feel if you have not been treated with justice?
• Why do you think justice is so important in the world?

Take Action:

• Visit the PBS Kids Go Fairness Fighters page to learn about people who stood up for what was right and how you can do the same!
• Visit the NIEHS Kids Page to learn about a special kind of fairness – environmental justice – and what you can do to help bring it about!

Teacher Features:

• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
• Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.
• Here is a great article from Edutopia discussing the importance of treating kids fair vs. equal