Many have died for equality in an effort to wipe out injustice. Claims of equality or lack of access in America has always been a focus of debates and philosophical discussions. Change must start with each individual; learning to respect differences will help make America a more tolerant country.
America’s progress toward change has been a slow process; the rights of several and the disparaging treatment of others divide the country and have for centuries. Embracing change is difficult, for a number of people; it means to oppose traditional beliefs and sacred memories, forgetting the way things used to be and accepting others, no matter the differences. Equality has two faces, morals and moral judgment.
For centuries, equality in American has been a topic of discussion, some people feel that in order to gain equal ground there must be sacrifice, hard work and commitment, and that no one should expect to be handed an opportunity without having earned it. This is a true statement, except for the fact that in America, for some, sacrifice is common and there is no equal ground or equality. There are daily struggles for some with putting food on their table; just trying surviving until the next day without encountering violence or picture the difficulty most face when looking for a decent education; these are a few of the issues that plague communities less fortunate than others because of economic and financial resources.
Possibly, sacrifice is the inability to pay for
Equality is an ideal that is mentioned nearly everyday in this country. It is an ideal that has transformed this country into a mixing pot of different races and backgrounds. Many people travel to America to seek out the new opportunities that are available here and not in their homeland. Diana Pham is a great representation of the opportunities equality gives everyone in America. She wrote “As immigrant boat people from communist Vietnam, we appreciate the opportunity given to us to build our lives in the United States” (Document A). Equality gives everyone in the
It is a tragic truth: About 10,000 lives are lost in the United States because of drunk driving each year. Alcohol is wildly known as one of the main reasons of causing social security issue. Small amount can make people feel relaxed, but bigger amount could make them loss their coordination, get feeling of confusion and disorientation, and significantly slowed their reaction time. On average, one person dies every hour because of alcoholic traffic accident in United State. Therefore, the NTSB put out a recommendation last May that the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level for drivers should be lowered from the current level of .08% to .05%. But for several reasons, we shouldn’t lower the
Equality served as a cornerstone of America's foundation, but its people have not fulfilled its potential.
America was built on the basis of equality, even though it was not really completely equal till 1964 when segregation was ended. When Thomas Jefferson said that all men are created equal he did not include slaves and women, when he said that he literally meant all white males not all of mankind. Another part of equality is for immigrants coming to start a new life, they need equality so that they get paid the same as their coworkers. Equalty also gave Dianna Pham’s daughters the equal opportunity to succeed in America. Equality is very important to everyday Americans and immigrants but it is most important in the Declaration of
The full text of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) reads as follows, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” (qtd. in Stewart 33). These twenty-four words would become some of the most controversial of the twentieth century. Under the nineteenth amendment, American women obtained the right to vote in 1920. This amendment inspired Alice Paul to draft the first ERA which she then introduced to the United States Congress in 1923. After this first proposal, the ERA would eventually be proposed in each succeeding session of Congress (Stewart 33). Despite its introduction every year for fifty years, the ERA did not accumulate a strong opposing force until after it
In America, the land of the free, people believe that it’s the greatest place to be. And America would probably be what everyone believes, but it has a very serious problem that could eventually destroy the country as whole. America is built upon Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but it has a strong equality issue that has to be taken care of. Equality is a social contract in America and unfortunately it is a broken one. A social contract is an agreement amongst the members of a society, but equality is a serious issue. Equality poses the biggest problem to America simply because in any country the people make the country, and if the people can’t get along either internal conflicts occur, or people eventually leave. Throughout America everyone regardless of race, color, or sexual orientation has experienced inequality in some part of America. Words are exchanged, fists are thrown, and in serious cases lives are lost because people are racists to one another. Equality is a broken social contract in America that will eventually be its demise if not attended to.
The United States has made great innovations in the past century to ensure that all people have the same chances to better themselves. While steps have been taken to bring about equality from Roe v. Wade to legalizing same sex-marriage in every state still more can be done—especially in the field of racial inequality.
New laws being passed every day, and outstanding people making a change. Throughout the years, America and its social equality has grown. “One more thing, gentlemen, before I quit. Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal..” (Lee Page 208). This quote states “all men are created equal.” People now go with this quote all the time because they now know how to treat everyone right. From all the laws passed, and the people who decided to stand up for their rights, America and its equality has grown better. “1955: Rosa Parks refuses to surrender her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, 1955.” (Blacks and the Great Depression). Rosa Parks made a huge change in African Americans and their equality that day. Instead of giving up her seat, she stood up for her equality. She stood up for the rights and equality for all African Americans so not only they could sit where they want on a bus, but also be treated like people too. For my specific topic, these statements will state another way we see social equality in present day America. "The handful of people in this town who say fair play is not marked white only" (PDF Chapter 24, page 240). This quote shows that not only white people can be fair, but African Americans can too. White people could easily commit the same crime as Blacks. Now in present day America, people of all different colors/races commit crimes every day. They’re kind every day, and they do so much other than sit around all day. Life in America for Blacks has gotten so much better than what it was in the 1930s. “1964: Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, enforcing the constitutional right to vote.” (Blacks and the Great Depression). It’s good that now not only white people can vote, but everyone can. It definitely made an incredible change in America and the equality for Blacks. Now, African Americans have the right to vote so they have their own
The Equal Protection Clause is part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The clause provides that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws". Two landmark 14th Amendment cases are Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education. However, each case treated the 14th Amendment differently and this caused a different outcome for each court case.
With three examples, it is not difficult to see that complete equality in America still has a long way to go. Even when we have made progress in past, the United States needs to continue to move forward in order to achieve equality for all its
Many people believe we have come a long way since the times of racism, sexism, and unequal rights. In the recent past there has been much more equal treatment of race, gender, religion, and alike topics. However, there is still a long way to go involving minorities and women being treated equally.
Imagine living in a world that consistently devalues your existence and is heavily populated with individuals who are quick to use and abuse your resources, but are slow to share the wealth that is accumulated from those resources. How would you feel? Unfortunately, certain populations do not have to visualize the disparity that is pictured above. This is because inequity is one of the most demoralizing social issues that plague America today. The worst thing about inequity is the fact that it continues to disproportionately burden individuals who are categorize as being minority in today’s society.
Equality is something Americans strive to provide and maintain. It has become an integral and necessary part of our mosaic culture. Even now to the point that when people think of America, they naturally think of freedom and equality. People of many different races, disabilities and creeds have come to the United States seeking the impartiality upon which this country was founded. The institutions of this country have relied upon it, just as it was the created by the events in the laying of moral foundations. The expression of America's citizens plays an extremely significant role in the history of equality in American society. In the pursuit of equality and the "American Dream," people have authored inspiring
Oppression and discrimination has plagued our society since early times. As a collective society one would think that over time oppression and discrimination would turn into acceptance and equality. Conversely, our society has taken sluggish steps towards diversity, acceptance and equality. Our society is focused on labeling people and putting them into limiting boxes. Oppression occurs across various groups of people based on gender, sex, race, religion, and disability. Members of these diverse groups are discriminated among work places, schools, and other places. Work places and schools promote diversity and non-discrimination, however little seems to be practiced. Oppression across generation leaves damaging consequences hindering society in the growth towards a more accepting environment.
Certainly, Alexie’s illustration of his childhood struggles are an enlightening experience. While he does not directly address the question, it does shed some light on the ongoing debate. Equity vs Equality, which is more beneficial. Equality has been used since Jim Crow when southern schools installed the mentality of 'separate but equal'. This mentality exhibited that even though they were separate, nothing was ever truly equal. This mentality failed. Looking at our system now, one cannot help but point out the similarities to the old Jim Crow system. As Albert Einstein would say, Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Equity is the opposite. Equity would ensure that those who needed extra or additional help would receive because that would be fair.