Discrimination
Jenny Miller
Section 57
11-5-07
Argument/Persuasion
Discrimination
Often I hear people say things that at first don’t seem wrong at all, but once I have time to really think about it, the comments seem pretty bad. These days, our culture has progressed way beyond respect for one another. Don’t get me wrong; there are places where great respect takes place. For the most part, we need to think twice about the random comments that come out of our mouths. Far too much discrimination is taking place in our schools and workplaces.
All sorts of discrimination are easily found in schools. Whenever I walk out into the crowded halls of my high school in between classes, I always seem to overhear a conversation that has some form of discrimination or biased opinion in it. It is very common to hear some random guys jokingly yell, “You’re gay!” or “Man, that’s so gay!” Everyone may take this comment lightly, since it is a part of some people’s everyday vocabulary. Though in reality, things said repetitively can leave a question in someone’s mind like, “Is what that person said actually true?” Another fact to consider is how often people judge others by what they see on the outside. I think we should all follow the famous quote that says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Just think if everyone actually believed that and didn’t judge by appearance. I believe our world would be completely different. I know at school we have the obvious different cliques. These include the preps, goths, emos, nerds, and everything in between. (By the way, I’m not trying to call people by names. That is just how everyone knows everybody!) It is expected, for example, that all of the preps be heterosexual and many of the emos and goths be bisexual or homosexual. It is looked down upon by peers if anyone goes against this flow of expectations. Also, many people judge by the way others act. Sometimes, outsiders may “cling” to their peers for fear of sticking out of the crowd. Others may be quiet for fear of letting out their feelings. I think some individuals judge too quickly without getting to know one another, like when bullies pick on or make fun of the quieter kids because they don’t have very many friends.
The workplace can also be a prime location for discrimination to occur. In the first place, people come from all different walks of life to work as a team for any type of business. This diversity may bring some disagreement or prejudice. For some, it may be hard to accept new people that may be far different than people they have normally been around. An example is a so-called “sheltered” person whose religion is against gays and lesbians. These people may not like the idea of having to work with other sexualities and may express their opinion in a bad way. In addition, businesses that work directly with the public must have employees who can deal with all sorts of customers. Obviously, this doesn’t happen all the time, so discrimination occurs. If a worker is biased towards a trait that a customer possesses, the customer might not be leaving the store a happy camper. Even if a consumer is just having an off day, they could set a bad mood and the employee could fire back with uncalled prejudiced comments. Another thing is unfair promotions and “favorites.” Some managers or bosses may not be fair and might just give out raises to the employees they particularly like. This brings up the topic of office affairs. Some individuals may have affairs with their boss just to have an advantage over their co-workers. Also, the head of a company may be prejudiced against a certain group of people and choose not to hire a person because they fall into that category.
People that have an opposing view on this matter don’t have a good argument. For example, racist people have absolutely no good reason to be the way they are. Why is it so hard to believe that all races and ethnicities are created equal? Who cares about the color of skin? Another reason is how ridiculous sexists are. I just don’t understand people when they favor one gender over another. We all need both sexes to make the world go around anyway. To say that girls are stupider or weaker is way too general of a remark. One could say that a particular girl is less intelligent or weak, but to say that about all females is wrong.
Biased opinions and prejudice is taking place too often in familiar places. We, as a community, should take a second look at how these comments affect our lives. I believe that thinking about what we are about to say will make a huge difference. The next time we hear an inappropriate comment, whether someone else’s or our own, I hope that we think about what we can do to change what comes out of some people’s mouths.