To say one is without prejudice in this world would indicate to me
that that person is living a delusion. An example just recently happened at my
place of employment. I a White, Hispanic nurse and a black, Pilipino nurse,
watched a man that we could not see his face, come up a locked stairwell in a
hooded sweat shirt and his face could not be seen. We work in a very small town
that we know just about everyone and we work on a floor that is locked down
because we have children on it. “We both said to each other do you think he is
safe?” “Is he up to something”? We confronted him together. He ended up being a
lost father to one of the children on the floor. The door had malfunctioned and
he had been allowed access to a locked stairwell.
Recently we had a man shoot
a thirteen year old black male named, Travon in a hooded sweat shirt, in
Florida and he was not convicted of a crime. Months before we had both been
exasperated that the man that killed Travon did not receive jail time and that
he needed harsh punishment. Yet here we were making some of the same mental
judgments as him. After we directed the man to his child’s room. We both began
to discuss how, fear can lead to people making wrong decisions about people.
Prior to this situation both of us had felt we were not prejudice. “Do not
judge by appearance, but judge by right judgment (John, 7:24).
Discrimination is refusing an individual a chance at a something
based on their membership to a certain group, which if the person was not part
of that group, would be given the same opportunity (Gomez- Mejia, Balkin, &
Cardy, 2012). Prejudice is the act of forming an unfair judgment of someone
without the facts, and that preconceived notion, causing harm to another (Gomez-
Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2012). Many argue that affirmative action is a form
of reverse discrimination, because it allows individuals to obtain certain jobs
and colleges admittance despite not having the same qualifications, as the more
affluent members of a different class (Camara & Orbe, 2011). Discrimination
is woven into the social economic culture of the United States, from its
foundation (Camara & Orbe, 2011). In order to change the culture of the United States, laws such as affirmative action, had to be in acted to stop actions that were prejudice, or
change would have never began. Affirmative action is a way to level the playing
field, so that the challenge for the pursuit of happiness in this country is as
equal as humanly possible. The sad truth is that people trust and prefer
individuals that are similar or they are familiar with (Camara & Orbe,
2011). The only way to start this to occur in the United States was affirmative
action. It is a also a misconception that affirmative action only helps one
certain class, when in fact it really protects all minorities(Camara &
Orbe, 2011).
Having a diverse population brings strength to companies,
churches, schools, as well as the United States and society (Curfman, Morrissey
& Dazen, 2013). Because of human nature diversity will not happen without
laws that protect minorities (Curfman, Morrissey & Dazen, 2013). Choosing
someone based on race or gender for a position or admittance to school is not
fair, but either is discrimination (Curfman, Morrissey & Dazen, 2013).
Affirmative action is working because at this time in history more women are
college educated then men (Curfman, Morrissey & Dazen, 2013). It may be
necessary to use affirmative action now to promote the attendance of men into
higher education and positions that are held mostly by women such as nursing
(Curfman, Morrissey & Dazen, 2013).
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a
friend” (Martian Luther King Jr.). The only way to transform mankind is through
the acceptance of Jesus Christ into their heart. “Therefore if any man be in
Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away, behold all things
become new” (2 Corinthians, 5:17). True freedom from discriminatory behavior
will never happen until Jesus comes back to this world. Therefore it is
necessary to establish laws that protect everyone, especially the weak and
disadvantaged.
References
Camara, S.,
& Orbe, M. (2011, July). Understanding interpersonal manifestations of
"reverse discrimination"
through phenomenological inquiry. Journal of Intercultural
Communication Research, 40(2), 111-134. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=61156856&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Curfman, G. D., M.D., Morrissey,
S., PhD., & Drazen, J. M., M.D. (2013). Affirmative action in
the balance.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 368(1), 73-4. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1266235513?accountid=12085
