Do you believe that the children of unwed mothers should be put to death at birth? Should a disfigured burn victim be denied proper housing? Is it alright to "warehouse" citizens over the age of forty? Should a paralyzed war veteran be allowed to starve? What of the individuals belonging to minority races? Should they be disallowed proper medical care? How about the fat, ugly, or ungraceful people--do you agree that they be stripped of their civil rights and left to die?

Obviously, any sane, rational person would answer, "No!" to these questions, horrified by the mere thought. "Why, only a sociopathic monster could suggest such things," you'd say. However, vicious and bestial as they are, if you have ever practiced or acquiesced to unfair, discriminatory hiring tactics then you have not only condoned these atrocious actions, you have helped them to occur, for denying equal access to the money that gainful employment brings is tantamount to slow, painful death--of the body or of the mind--for those discriminated against. Whenever a prejudiced or discriminatory action is allowed to go unchallenged the human race takes another step backwards to the Dark Ages; the dignity of all humanity is besmirched and sullied a bit more.

In the U.S., each citizen is protected by legislation prohibiting all forms of discrimination, but statistics prove that prejudicial employment practices are still occurring. The Equal Pay Act was made law in 1963, yet women are still paid an average of 35% less than men are paid for performing equivalent work. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and amended in 1968 and 1972, making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin, yet the unemployment rate of minority workers is 6.3% higher than that of caucasian males. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was legislated in 1967 and amended in 1978, yet many agencies and companies still have arbitrary age limits for non-physically-taxing positions, denying older citizens an equal chance of employment, and the unemployment rate of teenagers is 10.3% higher than the national average for adults. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, and Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 all prohibit discrimination on the basis of physical or mental handicaps, but few workplaces are truly wheelchair-accessible or have facilities for those workers that are deaf, blind, or have any of the other handicaps that require specially equipped workstations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines of 1981 prohibit all forms of sexual harassment, yet homosexuals, bisexuals, and lesbians are still discriminated against both overtly and covertly at all levels of business, industry, and government.

Clearly, lobbying for and passing legislations prohibiting discrimination are not actions sufficient to achieve true equality. How, then, can we make our nation one that is free of prejudice and bigotry? First and foremost, do not participate in prejudicial practices; refuse to ask or answer discriminatory questions during an employment interview. If you feel that you have been denied employment for unfair reasons file complaints with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Employment commissions. Write and telephone your local, state, and federal political representatives, urging them to increase the penalties for non-compliance with the anti-discriminatory laws. Research major manufacturers and boycott the products of those you find to have an unequal ratio of employees. Finally, and most importantly, teach your children to appreciate the value inherent in each individual. Tell them that it is the incredible diversity of the human race that makes us the dominant species on our planet. Teach them to see the beauty and importance of being unique, and to realize the worth of those different from themselves. Make them understand that every person has his or her own special abilities, and that the only way to progress as a species is by melding and blending the potentials of every individual. Show them the way to a brighter, more fair future, and they will make it a reality.

Untold thousands have suffered, fought, and died over the course of human history to establish the basic right of all people to live, work, and worship as they choose, free of prejudice and the fear of reprisal for no transgression other than that of being different. Do not let their sacrifices have been made in vain. Remember this adage: "They came for the Jews, and I was not Jewish, so I did not protest. They came for the Protestants, and I was not a Protestant, so I did not protest. They came for the elderly, and I was not old, so I did not protest. They came for the children, and I was not a child, so I did not protest. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to protest, so they took me." If you do not help to uphold the rights of others, who will help to uphold your rights?

---

The preceding essay's percentages are a bit dated, and will be updated when time allows me to research them again. I still feel as strongly about discrimination now as I did when it was originally written, and believe that the message is just as neccessary now as then, so I posted it here, anyway. L.W.G.

This page was last updated on - Mar. 1997. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"
Copyright © 1997 Lia Wolf-Gentry A member of