Discrimination in America

Bethanie Rosario is a seventh-grader at Hawtree Creek Middle School and received an honorable mention.

Everyone has either experienced or seen discrimination during their lifetime. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different people or things. It’s basically unfairness and inequality. There are many types of discrimination, but I will be talking about only three of them. No, I’m not invalidating any other types of discrimination. I know more about these topics. First will be racial discrimination (racism). The second will be discrimination against women (misogyny). Finally, the third will be discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community (homophobia).

People were introduced to the Black Lives Matter movement after George Zimmerman shot an African American teenager. His name was Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. From August 2011 to February 2012, Zimmerman had called the police several times. He stated he had seen individuals whom he had deemed suspicious. All these people were black males. Trayvon started to run when he noticed someone following him. When police arrived after the shooting. Zimmerman was put into custody and set free after claiming self-defense. People protested for Zimmerman to be arrested. They were successful. We all remember the BLM protest that happened after the death of George Floyd. An African American man was killed by police on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Police attempted to arrest him on suspicion that he had used a counterfeit bill. Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes. Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the concrete. While exclaiming he couldn’t breathe. Chauvin ignored pleas from bystanders to lift his knee. Chauvin was guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

Similar to the discrimination against the black community in America, women of all races also face injustice. Women have been silenced throughout history, and it's still happening worldwide. Women were never allowed to have the same rights as men. One recent incident of misogyny is the Texas abortion ban. It bans abortion after six weeks. A person’s own body is intended to be their choice. I say person because that individual might not identify as female but can still get pregnant. There may be many reasons why someone would want or need an abortion: too young, financial concerns, sexual assault, etc. There is also a stigma around being feminine. Most people associate being feminine with being weak and helpless. It’s rare to be perceived as a strong woman. If a woman has muscles, she is too masculine. To be a woman and be pretty, you can’t be masculine in any form. Most people picture a woman as petite, curvy, and skinny. Children are taught this from a young age. For example, all the Disney princesses are

skinny and smaller than their princes. Princesses are always in need of help, and there are very few independent princesses. They’re always powerless or incapable. Occasionally, we get a female character who is smart, but they are usually outwitted by a man or cast aside. This is teaching young girls that they will never be as good as a boy. In addition, it teaches young boys that girls are weak and consistently need a man to save them.

Discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community has existed for years, much like discrimination against women. Today, people worldwide are denied service because they are a member of the LGBTQ+ community; some are harassed, hurt, or killed. Thus, Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming. He was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. He died on October 12 in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado at the young age of 21. Most people in this community face harm, and they are more likely to face harm if they identify as LGBTQ+ and are also a person of color. An example of this is Kiér Laprí Kartier, a 21 African American. She was shot in her car on October 4, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. After investigation, police revealed they could not figure out the motive, since they couldn’t find any suspects. The media misgendered her and dead-named her. She marks the 38th trans-American person killed. By November 20th, 47 trans people had been killed in America.

In summary, discrimination in America is a huge problem and affects many people. This country needs a change. The pledge of allegiance states, “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” That’s not true. Not all people have these rights. So instead of saying it, let's find a way to make it true. I would like to encourage everyone to start doing research and find ways to help. Which can include donating or raising awareness. Anything helps.