Discrimination: A destructive element of the society

The greatest mistake of humankind is propagating discrimination and worse, not even doing anything to have discrimination terminated. Discrimination, a contemporary phenomena, has gone even worse each day and is becoming prosaic as time passes. Anxiety and even suicide are just some of the effects of discrimination. Past and current generations have been struggling with this sensitive case for as long as we have recorded.

There are many forms of discrimination that are already familiar to us, which include religion, gender, age, disability, racial discrimination, and even sexual harassment. An example of racial discrimination is the Apartheid jurisdiction in South Africa in which black people and people from other racial groups did not have the same rights as white people and were mandated to live separately from white people.

Another form is gender discrimination, which until now is happening even in our own country. Women’s rights are belittled and oftentimes neglected by the society. In gender discrimination, people think that men have the will to overpower women and that men have the upper-hand in the society. In our country, some Filipinos still think that women are weak or “mahina” and that a woman, especially a Filipina, should be conservative and modest; most of the archaic people or the "matatanda" support this by thinking that modern Filipinas should act in a mannered way—the Maria Clara way and concept. As a Filipina, what I'm trying to imply is not a mere form of disapproval that a Filipina should be or act otherwise, what I'm trying to imply is that women, including Filipinas, have their right to be and act according to their own will.

Women have their own right to be someone they want themselves to be and that women shouldn’t have to rely to these kind of judgments just to be accepted by the society. Women’s rights should be respected. Women have the right to show people who they really are— not to show people what the society wants them to be. Women, particularly Filipinas, don't have to put their masks on and act in a Maria Clara concept just to save themselves from people's criticism and to satisfy the society; we have to be ourselves.

Some policies are already made to stop these forms of discrimination, but the question is, are the policies effective in concluding the reign of discrimination? If it has, why do some people still get discriminated and ridiculed just because of their differences from the majority? Why do some people still receive oppressive judgments from other people? These are just some of the questions that we need to think about. Ask yourself, have you ever looked at someone differently, called anybody a name or even judged and criticized people when you did not know even a single truth about them? People may be confused and think of these ways the other way around— to think of these things as not an absolute form of discrimination. Truth be told, it is.

Indeed, the severity of these forms of discrimination becomes worse and worse each day. Discrimination is an unstoppable phenomena that the society needs to eradicate. It is a notion that runs against the most important values of the modern society. Psychologically speaking, discrimination is also a threat to democracy wherein the lack of equality stimulates discrimination among individuals, which tramples on an important element of human rights, and hinders people to discern equal rights of humans. It is a threat that obstructs people to act according to their will, jeopardizing not only the society, but also the individuals who have been subjected to such hostile treatments, serving as an offense to human dignity, and thus should be stopped.

Humans, by nature, are innately different from each other. We all have distinct features and attributes, which we should learn to love and appreciate, regardless of whether it serves as an ornament or a flaw, and do the same to our fellowmen. We are all beautiful just the way we are; it's just that some people still fail to see the beauty of a mortal whom they think is just ordinary.

Indeed, discrimination is a destructive phenomena that causes many conflicts in the society, which should be addressed by governments in different nations by comprising laws that will put an end to The society must also contribute to stop this issue by making programs and organizations that aim to terminate discrimination and help the people affected by it. The society started discrimination, hence, discrimination should also be ended by the people who started it— the change should start within us.