There is little doubt America has made significant social progress over the last century. Just a century ago, discrimination on the basis of factors such as race and gender was not only explicit and legal but a normal rather than a rare sight in the American society. We are fortunate to be living in these times when many such discriminatory acts now have social stigma attached to them but my life experiences have convinced me there is still lot of social progress to be made in America. Discrimination exists in several forms some of which are still quite prevalent in American society. I do believe laws can help tackle discriminatory practices in the society but I also believe they have limited scope because true progress among citizens requires change from within. In almost all episodes of discrimination I have personally encountered or merely observed, the common theme is to judge others by their appearances. Thus, one of the most effective tactics to minimize the influence of one’s personal prejudices and stereotypes is not to judge others by their appearances but instead taking the time and efforts to listen to and learn more about others.
Discrimination is often inspired by personal prejudice. Unfortunately, even law enforcement officials, that are supposed to uphold to the highest legal standards, become victim to personal prejudices. I learnt this the hard way one night in October 2005. I had just moved back to Toledo, Ohio and was pregnant at the time. One rainy night, I was driving accompanied by my friend Jimmie when we had to stop at the gas station to refuel the car. I filled the car with gas and went into the store to buy some snack food as well as pay for the gas and the food items. While I was walking towards the convenience store that owned the gas station, I noticed a police car parked nearby and the police officer at the driver’s seat was staring at me. I felt uncomfortable but chose to ignore the stare. When I exited the store, I again felt the uncomfortable stare. I thought driving off the gas station would have been the end of this uncomfortable experience with a law enforcement official but I could not have been more mistaken. As soon as we left the gas station, the police officer started following me. He followed me for about two miles before pulling me over at the intersection of Delaware and West Lake Street. The police officer resorted to claim that I had run a stop sign. He also added I should not be driving due to being in a state of pregnancy.
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"The Ugly Face of Discrimination".
The desire to engage in an act of discrimination is sometimes so strong that the perpetrator will not even abstain from engaging in lies and deception. After I produced my driving license upon the instruction of the police officer, he dropped the most unexpected claim that my Florida-issued driving license is not valid in the State of Ohio. Emotions tend to be more intense during pregnancy due to higher levels of hormone and it was only natural for me to feel a strong sense of anger because I knew that a driving license issued in any U.S. state is valid in all other states for driving purposes for as long as it has not approached the expiration date. My sense of anger coupled with confusion was also strong because already I could not fathom the fact I had broken a stop sign when there was not a single stop sign on the way since I had left the gas station. After the officer issued me ticket, I reversed the course of my car in order to make sure I had not missed anything. On our way back, we just found an empty corner with no stop signs in sight. I took pictures of the location because I had decided to fight the charge and my friend Jimmie supported my decision.
Discrimination doesn’t only persist because someone engages in discrimination but also because others either do not have the courage to tackle it or simply choose not to out of self-interests. After a week, I had court hearing during which I thoroughly explained the whole incident as well as showed the photos to both the judge and the District Attorney. As soon as I started speaking in my defense, I could tell by a quick look at the judge he had already made up his mind and my suspicions were confirmed when he appeared to be disinterested during my whole testimony and also called photos as inconclusive evidence. I even explained I am willing to wait and the court can look into the matter because it is clear where I got the ticket and I can also produce the receipt from the gas station. The judge decided to go ahead with the judgment of the police officer and not only required me to pay ticket but also the cost of the court which came out to be $125.
I might not have gotten the desired outcome but the incident left a huge impression on me. It made me realized how quickly people rush to judgment and as a result I have become more open-minded. I have learnt to give little weight to one’s appearance or even first impression because understanding a person takes time and people often surprise you as well as remind you how wrong initial impressions could be. I have also decided to commit significant time towards advancing the rights of some of the most vulnerable members of our society such as inner city kids and those from poor economic background. I might have been the subject of gender-based discrimination because discrimination exists in several forms and the common theme among all forms of discrimination is that they all are ugly and impose huge social and economic costs on the society.
