Lee Woods
Sociology
November 8, 2000
Discrimination is
very widespread in America. All of the citizens in the U.S. receive
unfair opportunities from discrimination whether they know it or not.
People that fall into these discriminating groups are in some way benefiting
from it. I fall into five categories: heterosexual, white,
male, U.S. citizen, and able-bodied; all groups that discriminate and therefore
benefit me.
Because heterosexuals
use discrimination against homosexual people, somewhere down the line I
benefit from it. Most people in society today do not accept homosexuals.
They believe that they are evil or inferior to heterosexuals. A perfect
example of this is that homosexuals are not permitted to be in the military.
The government denies their right to fight for their country simply because
of their sexuality. This allows heterosexual people like myself to
take the open military positions. Another example of homosexual discrimination
that benefits me is the government not allowing them to marry. This
keeps them from receiving tax breaks and government funding that I can
receive if I choose to get married. These are some of the examples
of how homosexual discrimination benefits me and other heterosexuals.
I also benefit from
discrimination because I am white. Caucasians are segregated from
people of color by their different neighborhoods. On job applications,
this causes employers to choose whites over people of other race.
The employers see that someone is from a certain neighborhood that’s classified
as “colored” and they usually decline the person’s application. This
benefits me and other whites because I can receive the jobs that are denied
to someone of a certain neighborhood or area. Another way I receive
opportunities from being white is at work. At my job I receive bonuses
and gift certificates for ringing up the most items. When customers
see that I am white they do not hesitate to go through my line. However,
when customers see a colored cashier, some pass them by and go to a different
line. This discrimination helps me because I get more customers than
people of other races, which will give me an unfair advantage at earning
bonuses. These cases shown here are ways that I benefit from being
white.
Because I am a male,
I benefit in society from female discrimination. Females are discriminated
against with crime. A woman is more likely to get mugged because
they are perceived as weak and defenseless, whereas men are perceived as
strong and capable of fighting back. This benefits me as a male because
I am less likely to lose my money or car to a thief. Another way
female discrimination helps me receive more opportunities is in sports.
Today, there is only a Woman’s National Basketball Association. A
Woman’s National Football League, Woman’s National Hockey League, or a
Woman’s Major League Baseball do not exist. This gives me unfair
advantages as a male because I have the opportunity to join a professional
sports team and earn enormous amounts of money. These examples show
how female discrimination benefits me in some way.
My U.S. Citizenship
also gives me unfair advantages in life. Immigrants are almost always
denied well-paying jobs in the U.S. This helps me because not only
can I take these profitable jobs, but also give foreigners minimal pay
for the work they do. I also gain opportunities through discrimination
with voting. People without United States Citizenship or a Green
Card cannot vote for the President. This benefits me because I can
elect someone to office that will help my problems and not a foreigner’s
problems. This is also true with local elections for governor and
mayor. This shows that being a United States Citizen gives me unfair
opportunities over a foreigner.
Another way I receive opportunities
is because I am able-bodied. Handicapped people are discriminated
against in many places. Many stores and businesses are not wheelchair
accessible, which prevents paralyzed or wheelchair-bound people from entering.
This benefits me because I can purchase goods from these stores and work
for these businesses because I am able-bodied. Another form of discrimination
against the handicapped is in school. Schools are wheelchair accessible,
however, I benefit because I can make it to class in the standard ten-minute
breaks in between. A person in a wheelchair has to do extra work
to gather his or her belongings, go down or up each floor, and wheel themselves
to another building. This gives me advantages because I learn the
ten or fifteen minutes worth of material taught while the handicapped person
is still trying to get to class. This helps me excel in the areas
that they miss or have to make up. These examples show how I receive
advantages because I am able-bodied.
Many people do not realize
the benefits they receive from the discrimination of others. The
large amount of discrimination in the U.S. gives people in certain categories
unfair advantages over others. My five categories: heterosexual,
white, male, U.S. citizen, and able bodied all give me extra opportunities
in one way or another.