Every day in America, a woman loses a job to a man, a homosexual high school student is harassed, and someone with a physical or mental disability is looked down upon. These are just some examples of the discrimination that citizens of this nation are faced with in this day and age. Discrimination is such a harsh act of hatred that, for the victim, it can be mentally crippling. As a society and in government the issue has been discussed and government is hesitant of laws due to the first amendment infringement ramifications. Discrimination is a controversial issue in society today because, individuals are being discriminated against based upon; gender, sexual preference, and physical or mental handicaps.
Looking back in history certain groups of people have always been discriminated against based on sex; women's voting rights or women in big business are some things that cause or have caused controversy. Things have gotten better since the early 1900s, and a more equal playing field is available for both women and men. Still existing though in society is discrimination against women and men. Their have been several cases in the last decade of women in a company doing the same jobs as men, and it is reported that the women made much less than the men did. This information is alarming and also shocking since in most of the cases, the men and women had equal qualifications. Applying for a job in today's job market is still a place where discrimination is evident. Companies have a specific profile that they look for when selecting applicants. Traditionally understood that women in a family are responsible for caring for children. Employers view this as a weakness for hiring women and in turn are more apt to hire a man. One other type of gender discrimination is that of traditional roles in jobs. Most people reflecting upon, childhood in elementary school were their more male or female teachers? Most would respond female.