I dont associate general ignorance with suffering, I associate ignorance towards the workings of the mind and our emotions with suffering. Ignorance is bliss, I couldnt agree more. Ignorance of suffering would certainly be bliss but what about the people that are suffering from things like depression and anxiety? They are not ignorant to suffering but are ignorant to how emotions are supposed to work, what they are for and how focusing on certain thoughts and feelings causes them to become habitual. Just like muscle memory, we have mind memory too.
I am not buddhist nor do I practice buddhism. The release of emotions causes a balance in our being. If someone had an imbalance of anger in them, they would be more than willing to fight for their rights. They would probably be out throwing petrol bombs and rioting. Being complacent is on the other side of the spectrum, it is also an imbalance that could be caused by blocking out your anger or being thought that feeling anger is wrong. If you experienced anger in a balaned manner, you wouldnt get taken over by it and become unconscious to it. You would feel it as a result of something that you dont think is right and consciously decide the most appropriate form of action to take.