Discrimination And The War At Appomattox Court House

In a perfect world every single citizen within the borders of the United States would have the freedom to be with whomever they wish. No one would have to worry about being judged or mocked for their preferences. In the words of the late Harvey Milk, “It takes no compromise to give people their rights, it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” This, however, is not a perfect world. People make mistakes, people commit crimes and people hate one another for their individual choices. You could be judged, categorized and demoralized by who you choose to fall in love with in this society. Gay and lesbian citizens are consistently denied rights that are

You would think that today’s society would not discriminate against someone based on their race, color, or national origin. With the changes in lifestyle, people continue to discriminate against those, but also someone’s sexual orientation. Even with laws and regulations, it continues in all parts of the country. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, more specifically Title VI, stated that you could not discriminate against anyone in programs and activities receiving federal

The LGBT community in the United States has always had massive difficulty fitting into our society. For many years they put up with constant mistreatment and other forms of abuse coming from the those who do not agree with their lifestyle. They have for long advocated for the acceptance of their existence and punishment for crimes committed against them. One of the hardest battles the community has had to face was the right to marry in a society that still holds the values of a traditional relationship which is between a male and female. The struggle was quite harsh but it all paid off by 2015 when the supreme court granted gay couples the right to marry. This historical decision did not go without outcry and criticisms. Most of the dissatisfaction came from those who hold very religious values and beliefs that claims homosexuality is a sin. Religion has always been a part of the American way of life since the nation's founding and with that homosexuality has been demonized throughout our society. Now that gay couple possess the legal rights to have a marriage license, religious companies and/or stores are now denying service to LGBT couples as they believe it sinful on their behalf to even take part. Many people gay or straight who fought for gay rights believe these is pure discrimination and that stores should not have the right to deny service for any customer for any reason. However, this belief is unconstitutional and goes

In the early days of the American government, there was a long struggle between the federalist, and the anti-federalist about the ratification of a constitution for a young nation. During that time, slavery was a source of labor, and commerce for our thirteen states, but this didn’t sit well with these human properties, because they wanted their grievances to be answered. Once it was clear that African-Americans were people who deserve the same rights as others too, it sparked the voices from women who were properties of their spouses. In continuation of all these dilemmas, there was a hidden developing conflict for homosexual rights. The rights that Americans think they are entitled too, must be answered,

From slaves and immigrants to women and gays, America has struggled with the principle of equality for all people. A principle that is clearly laid out in the 14th amendment of The United States Constitution, “No state shall make or enforce any law, which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” (14th Amendment Section 2) And yet the rights of millions Americans have be infringed upon from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s to even more recent history such as Gay rights. African Americans, Immigrants, women, and homosexuals toil till this day to achieve freedom from discrimination in a country that was built on the idea of freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

“When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free” (U.S. President Barack Obama, 2013). As early as 1924 our country has debated the idea of gays. In 1969 The Stonewall riots sparked the gay rights movement. In previous weeks debates continue involving the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. However, our nation has fought for the ability to be equal, to embrace differences, and to build upon different ideas and cultures. Although, prejudice and discrimination still lerk among the hearts of Americans who will argue negative consequences involving the ability of same-sex marriage; yet embracing same-sex marriage supports financially, will support children involved, and

Before I learned to count, I was taught to put my right hand over my heart and pledge my allegiance; to promise to stand by a nation that has “liberty and justice for all”. Learning the pledge of allegiance in kindergarten was my first real exposure to hypocrisy. The US claims to provide a level field for everyone, but dispels any real movement towards it. If there truly was liberty and justice for all there wouldn’t be discrimination, racism, or intolerance. Instead though, everywhere you turn society is filled with hatred and unacceptance. As a first hand observer to the discrimination of members of the gay and African American communities, I have developed a sense of how unjust and unaccepting the American society truly is.

There is no lack of discrimination in the world today. In 1993, the situation was even worse. LGBT discrimination was one of the worst. The Supreme Court case Bottoms v. Bottoms is an excellent example of that. This case features a child custody dispute between a lesbian mother and a homophobic grandmother on the basis of the mother’s sexuality. Why is the fitness of a mother not being determined by her actions but by her sexuality? This case changed the views of how homosexual mothers and fathers should be judged as parents and their capabilities. As a result of this case, a mother ended up childless and an entire community was hurt by this judges ruling.

On June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that marriage is a fundamental right. This historic ruling opened up a world of opportunities to America’s gay and lesbian communities, but there are still many organizations that resist this change in culture. There are some people in America who are morally against the practice of homosexual relations and they do not wish to support a life style that goes against their religious beliefs. These people invoke the First Amendment and desire to be exempt from serving the gay community. However, religious exemption cannot be extended to allow people to deny their fellow citizens their right to practice their own religions and their fundamental rights to life, liberty and property. We must be color blind

Discrimination and hate are spread like hellos today. People such as the gay community had their rights put before America on trial. Something that should never happen has, and it continues. A quote from The Bill of Rights: "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of

Discriminatory action against individuals who identified or were labeled as non-heterosexual began to be brought to light during the twentieth century and is still prevalent today. There are arguments by certain individuals that claim that discrimination of those who identify as non-heterosexual have disappeared. I would argue that such discrimination is still alive and present in our modern society. Very noticeable today with the values of our Vice-President Elect Mike Pence who thinks that homosexuality can be “fixed” through electric shock therapy. Values like this are similar to that held during the twentieth century - which Margot Canaday deeper examines in her book The Straight State: Homosexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth Century America. Canaday’s argument throughout her book is that of homosexuality considered undesirable. Canaday starts off her book by delving into the stripping of citizenship rights from individuals who were labeled as homosexual. A topic Ian Haney Lopez explores in his book White By Law: The Legal Construction of Race: How individuals pertaining to a particular group of racial or ethnic groups were deprived of their citizenship and personhood rights. In this essay, I will explore the concepts introduced by Lopez of law as ideology and law as behavioral control and how those concepts relate to Canaday’s book in the oppression of non-hetersoxual individuals within the realms of immigration, the military, and welfare (Canaday).

The world has made great strides towards upholding equality in different factions of the community. However, declaring that discrimination has been eradicated from the society would be incorrect, as it can still be observed in the foundations of the modern world. A look into the history of America shows that a significant aspect of the nation was built on the notions of segregation and the oppression of various people based on race and gender. Back then, discrimination was outright and the law proudly upheld it with only few people standing up against the concept and its associated practices. Today, years after cultural evolution, any form of inequality is frowned upon. However, there still exist some fundamental forces in current systems that

Even though fellow Americans use the constitution as an excuse to discriminate against LGBT peoples and women because of their freedom of speech, the civil rights act should protect all LGBT communities and women. John Oliver’s “LGBT Discrimination and The Advocates” The Equality Act is Necessary” demonstrates that all Americans should be treated as equals and not discriminated against because of Color, Race, Sex, or National Origin.

The United States is currently embroiled in a battle over issues regarding civil rights of its citizens and what rights are constituted by that term. In the past, civil rights issues have been fought over women's rights and those of African Americans among others all in the name of seeking equality. Perhaps the most vocal group discussing civil rights in the United States at present are gay marriage activists who are fighting for same-sex couples to be able to marry. These individuals feel that marriage is a civil right and that there is no legal reason why people of the same gender cannot be legally married in the United States, a perspective which is shared by many people who are themselves not homosexual. Homosexuality and what rights should be afforded to same-sex couples have been in the forefront of politics for the last few years and rightly so. Before this period, gay people had to fight to get recognized and for their relationships to even be legal. For most of American history, homosexuals have had to hide their sexual orientation or fear ostracism and marginalization by the moral and social majority. This oppression is still seen in the legislation of the United States. Those who do not agree almost always use their religious beliefs as a reason for denying homosexuals this right despite the fact that the United States Constitution bans legislation being based upon religious perspectives. There simply is no reasonable argument against same-sex

America has come a long way in rights for their citizens, but it seems that we have come to an abrupt halt in basic human rights. Slavery and segregation of African American’s and other blacks were demolished within the last century of American history, but it seems many people are still undergoing segregation in everyday life. The LGBTQ community is still being discriminated against to this day. The push for civil marriage rights for non-traditional couples began in the 70’s, and as of 2012 forty-one states still banned same-sex marriage. Today the number of states banning same sex marriage has gone down to twenty-five states.