"New York meteorologist fired after using racial slur on air"
"Denver Bans Gay Conversion Therapy for Minors"
This week I tackled two relevant and similar articles to show how our society is making the right steps towards change. The first article, published on CNN, covers the story of a meteorologist who used a racial slur while on air. He was fired for the offense. The second article covers the city of Denver's decision to ban gay conversion therapy for those under 18.
At a glance, both of these articles show positive actions and change in society. But upon further analysis, one can easily see that the articles only show a slight improvement:
The New York meteorologist was still finding it acceptable to throw around racial slurs colloquially, demonstrating that there is still racial prejudice and a concept of racial supremacy as clearly demonstrated by the use of racial slurs in everyday conversation.
The US News article shows us that gay conversion is being banned for minors. But that's only for minors. And on top of that, it's only in one city. There are so many nugatory factors that show that while this is a step in the right direction, this action must be inflated on a larger scale in order for the United States to show a change.
I know that in a previous article I wrote, I stated that the U.S. wasn't really turning over a new leaf on the gun control front. I still hold my opinion and position on that issue, however, I would like to express that maybe we're looking on the pavement and finding a nice, fresh spring leaf that might represent the coming of a new historical era - one in which we see large improvement and respect for all people, no matter their race, age, background, sexuality, or gender.
I find it incredibly important that companies continue to prioritize good ethics among their employees and aren’t afraid to fire someone for stepping out of line. Many companies would still let things like racial slurring slide, but I think that it’s rediculous to not hold people responsible for those sort of actions.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of the Denver decision on gay conversion therapy and I hope that like the issue of gun violence, the U.S. continues to make progress towards making this country a safer, more welcoming and accepting place for ALL.
-Ryan Mecca
Emma Burkey: I totally agree with you when you say that these are good steps, but we still have a long way to go. It is important that we celebrate victories of equality and end of hatred, but we have to keep our eye on the bigger prize of total equality and annihilation of hatred.
ReplyDelete