An Explanation of Why I Believe Discrimination is a Problem

Have you ever felt like you were being treated unfairly for no reason? Have you ever treated someone else unfairly for no reason? Theres a word for that discrimination. Maybe you think there was a reason. Was it religion? Race? Ethnicity? Sexual orientation? If you believe theres a reason for discrimination, Ill be glad to correct you.

Youve heard this speech a thousand times. Im sure others have urged you to listen, offering a solution. If they were successful, Im happy for you. If not, I urge you to listen. I am offering a solution, but first Ill explain why I believe discrimination is a problem.

Discrimination is a problem for a number of reasons. Firstly, victims are more prone to depression, making them more likely to attempt or commit suicide. Fourteen year old Jamey Rodemeyer took his life after years of bullying due to his sexuality. His parents, Tracy and Tim Rodemeyer, say that Jamey faced bullies for years, though things intensified in middle school, according to NBC 2. Jamey recently became a freshman at Williamsville North High School.

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In the wake of their loss, the Rodemeyers hope to carry on a message of anti-bullying and acceptance. "To the kids who are bullying they have to realize that words are very powerful and what you think is just fun and games isn't to some people, and you are destroying a lot of lives," Jameys father told WIVB.

Tracy Rodemeyer misses her son, but hopes the loss can still be used to teach a message of tolerance. She says, "It took him away from our family way too early and we're just convinced that he had a purpose on this planet and it was to help as many people as he could.

Last year, a boy stepped in front of a tractor-trailer and became the latest victim of school bullying to turn to suicide. Brandon Bitner, who had a close group of friends and a passion for the violin, wrote in his suicide note that he felt unable to stop the torment he faced for three years at school.

People have to know that this can happen to anyone, even people you dont suspect, says Bitners cousin. Aside from an incident just prior to Bitners death, his difficulties were rarely reported to the schools principal, but the fact they dont report it doesnt let us off the hook. We need to reach out to kids, he said.

This is an example of the effects that discrimination has on people, especially teens. Over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of students across grades reported that they had been harassed or bullied on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Allowing things like this to go unchecked compromises student performance, damages mental and physical health, and perpetuates a cycle that can lead to greater forms of violence. Bullying, the trademark of angst-filled teenage years, has always been viewed as a rite of passage or just simply an unpleasant part of growing up. However, what began as harmless taunting has transformed into shocking acts of hatred, verbal harassment and physical abuse. It doesnt stop after high school, though. Workplace discrimination is sadly just as common. Thankfully, laws have been made to prevent it.

The Declaration of Independence says, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What happened to that? When did people stop being created equally? Nobody in this room is better or worse than another, I promise. So why treat them like they are? Weve all done it, weve all treated people unfairly for no reason other than their differences. For American students in grades seven through ten, nearly 3.7 million are bullies. This is larger than the amount of students who are bullied, and it seems to me that nobody understands how serious this issue is. While this speech was originally intended to focus on general discrimination rather than just bullying, I know that theres not much any of us can do to stop it. However, there are ways we can help to end discrimination.

The first step is to take action here at school. If you witness anybody being bullied, step in and defend them. Report it. If youre being bullied, talk to somebody you trust, as well as the school administrators. If youre a bully, think about how you could be affecting the victim. Would you want to be treated that way? No. I dont care what you think the reason is, these kinds of things shouldnt happen. I shouldnt have to write a speech about it, because it shouldn't be a problem. Weve let discrimination and bullying go on for too long without taking action. Its time somebody puts an end to it.

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