America Today

We live in America--the land of opportunity, the land of the free--the land where prejudices and discrimination are "discouraged" while corporate America judges hopeful candidates by online applications, government officials view citizens not as individuals but as potential votes, and people continue to base assumptions on initial, visual impressions.

Thou shall not judge, at least that is what most religions preach; yet, people are continually discriminated against by their level of, or lack of, education and professional experience, their social class, their skin color, their nationality, and their age. Not only do prejudices continue to exist in America today, but prejudices have expanded to general characteristics--too fat, too skinny, too dumb, too smart, too against traditional societal norms.

Some may argue that discrimination has been diminished; there are laws that are supposedly enforced that allow each citizen an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams. However, the prejudices of the past that have historically condemned both men and women to lives of impoverishment have not ceased to exist; rather, like our times, discrimination and prejudices has merely evolved into a modern, high-tech level.

It is no longer the color of one's skin or one's religion that solely dictates discrimination. It exceeds far beyond initial first impressions or generational worldviews. Prejudice and discrimination still begins at the surface, the judge's eyes, but it moves beyond anything that we can control. The hatred erodes the purest souls for the persecuted cannot dictate fate--their social class, their nationality, their parents, and their lack of high connections in the workforce or on social networking sites prevent them from living up to their potential. These things that one cannot control, these circumstances that we often wish to change but are powerless in escaping, affects the entire being of the individual.

Can we ever move beyond prejudging people on first impressions and generational assumptions? Will we, as a nation and as individuals, ever succeed in learning about the individual before we express our biases? What happened in getting to know your neighbor, your community, your peers, and your fellow human beings? What happened to our humanity?

The state of our country--our world--lies in the hands of our young, but what are the youths of today, the leaders of tomorrow, learning from the world? We need to stand strong, as community members and as compassionate citizens, and support our neighbors. We need to take the time to discover the ugly truths and wonderful beauties that lie within our neighbor's souls. We need to change the ways of the world, one soul at a time, in order to protect not only our future as a nation but to also preserve our humanity.

Amy Jones