Challenge authority with wisdom, not Ego.

Receiving justice from any authority is very subjective and mostly arbitrary.
You are either lucky, or connected.
And connected does not count as justice.

If you haven't learned this lesson well by the time you hit your twenties, you must have had a very privileged life, or a sheltered upbringing - and never really had to face the real world.

“….grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference. “

The wisest twenty something words, ever written.

Not knowing when not to push against authority is a lack of wisdom. Especially if you are pushing back against government authority no matter what level. Keep your powder dry - for when it matter's.

Fighting without wisdom - especially against authority - is an exercise in futility.
Trying to appear strong, without something to back it up in a bureaucracy world is childish.
Meritocracy of argument is horrible to these people. Disgusting.
_They abhor even the existence of meritocracy, for it shows them for who they are.
Authoritarian bureaucracies love words ending in'ism's', diversity, harassment's, and the like. Nothing set in concrete.
Facts are the enemy.

Using facts denotes wisdom. Using 'ism's' denotes a severe lack of.

IF you don't understand how the system works, from the local government level to the highest courts in the land,
then not knowing this – is ON YOU.
There is no excuses. You must know your enemy.
For example, if you dealing on a very local level and you are not an established part of that community - and you try to challenge people who have lived there for decades – or even generations - you will garner no support.
If you don't know about this basic human tribal dynamic, you have learned nothing growing up.

...and if you are learning this lesson in the teen years ( a good time to learn this lesson)– then good for you!
Keep this knowledge in your pocket for it will save you many a bruising of the ego in the future.

Rules are made by those in power, never...ever.... forget that.
Playing by their rules only show's a sheepish towards the system. You are accepting the reality thatthe authority is deciding.
You are a sheep, not a warrior. Thinking outside the box seldom involves the rules.
Why would a true warrior choose to play their game, who's rules are always weighted in their favor?
And by winning their own game, will then have control over you?_ Durrr!
It's real life though, not a game.

'There are many ways of skinning a cat', as the saying goes...

Asking the cat if he minds being skinned is not one of them.

Using this example of 'being the new girl' in town is one I have experienced from both being that girl, and also seeing it from the other side- numerous times - with people coming into my community.

The most common fall back position from 'an outsider' (and always after a set back of some kind).

....“But I wasn't told that,“ or “I didn't know,” - as though that gives them some... privilege?
Ignorance is not a entry card to anything, except more ignorance.

Another one I actually heard myself...“I didn't know the chickens I just ran over were going to be under my wheel.....”

...Even though they had just must moved into a house, right next to a farm - with lots of chickens!
What do you think the animals were were going to?
Walk around your property, or stay quiet 'cos YOU had arrived!
Lmao.
A big ego and arriving in a new place expecting things to change - based on YOUR values, YOUR right's - is a recipe for disaster.
(The Buddhist doctrine's of humility and patience go along way to achieving harmony).

Wisdom and 'rights' are not the same thing.

Complaining about a situation, to people who have been there forever (a natural authority within the community), and expecting help - is a naivety level bordering on someone who had never left their bedroom.
Never mind traveled all the way to new community.
And if do try to 'assert your rights' when no one knows you?- You will be laughed at. YOU are just not that important.
Your voice doesn't carry any weight. Grow up.
You don't count.
All the families that are connected through years of living together- including marriage! - DO count.

.....A big ego and a stranger - in a small tight community....ouch!

"...The wisdom to know the difference..."
The wisdom when to speak, and when to stay silent.
The wisdom to know the battles you can win - and the ones you can't.

And the further up this slippery authoritarian pole you go of course the more corrupt it gets.
At a local level authority is corrupt - from a purely principled perspective.
But principles are not real life.
At least with some semblance of tribal cohesion , common values and family allegiances, the corruption can at least make some sense

As you go higher up this 'shit pole', (as I like to call it) , it becomes more and more about just money and power.
'Sense' starts to become more and more irrelevant.

If you trust authority to solve anything - I would suggest you get a 9-5 desk job and avoid thinking at all costs..
Get a great TV set, and keep your head down.
Start watching stop thinking.
And don't worry - you wont be alone.

Most of the brain dead sheep are already doing do this.