Citizens for Peace, a nonprofit activist group based in Livonia, Mich., recently organized the 70-mile Moveable Peace walks to advocate for a new commission that would address issues of social justice in Michigan. Participating activists are concerned by the depletion of social services in the state and are looking to create a Michigan commission on peace and justice that would bolster social efforts.

The group has obtained a significant amount of signatures and presented their petition for the commission to a state representative. It should be noted people need to be invested in encouraging their government to address their needs, but any recommendations from the commission wouldn’t have to be followed. It also is difficult to insist on the commission’s necessity since the state already should be working toward the previously stated goals.

The commission is a good idea in theory but a poor one in practice since it likely would not produce results.

For a start, Citizens for Peace is overestimating the power of such a commission; it can only make recommendations, not create or enforce policy. Not to mention any commission created by the governor would consist of individuals he selected. So if the group isn’t in favor of the social policies of the current state government, a commission of people handpicked by the guy at the wheel of the current state government likely would not produce the group’s desired results.

The commission also has the potential to create redundancies within the state government. There already are organizations across the state with the duty of reducing crime ­— which is one of the group’s stated goals — called law enforcement departments.

The group’s concern about the sudden deprioritization of social services probably can be best addressed by lobbying to bolster an existing state government organization: the Department of Human Services.

State government agencies already are tasked with working for peace and justice; they already have ideas on how best to do what they do. Creating a commission is just an unnecessary step toward reinforcing the necessity of social services.

However, the ideas presented by an influential commission could lead to meaningful social change. Sharing — and possibly implementing — ideas for better living in Michigan always is positive.
But the necessity of such a commission is a practical question at a time when state resources already are spread thin enough.

The potential of a commission to provide meaningful reform suggestions is outweighed by reality: There are already organizations dedicated to supporting the same ideals as the activist group.

Supporting the current government entities is a more practical way of actually getting
results than is the creation of a commission that doesn’t possess the power to do much about anything.