Injustice in the World Today
The world today is filled with many injustices. Some of these horrible acts are significant and can have large impacts on the lives of others. People who are subjected to various forms of injustice lose their freedom of choice. People who are the targets of injustice can suffer personal and professional problems. These issues can affect their self-esteem, and they can cause depression. They can even result in suicide. Three issues of injustice most compel us to act today.
One injustice that compels people to act today is Human trafficking. The victims involved in human trafficking endure serious trauma. The injustice compels us to act today because not only are the victims mistreated during the time they are held hostage but additionally when these victims escape human trafficking. They are often shunned by society. Society treats the victims not as victims but as part of the problem by calling victims of sex trafficking prostitutes. Another example of how Human trafficking compels people to act is how human trafficking is modern day slavery. In the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recent article “Human trafficking,” the bishops wrote, “Nearly 40.3 million people are victims of modern slavery, of whom 24.9 million are entrapped in forced labor and sexual slavery and 15.4 million subjected to forced marriage”. Based on the information, Millions of people around the world are enslaved and trafficked for the benefit of others. A final example of Human trafficking compelling people to act is the victims involved are often trapped living the life of human trafficking. Victims feel like they are not wanted anywhere and feel like the only place they fit is in human trafficking. Even if victims wish to escape human trafficking, they have little money and few people to go to for help. By trying to put an end to human trafficking, people can improve the lives of many victims by supplying them with the support and care they need.
Another injustice that compels people to take action today is the lack of compassion for and acceptance of LGBT individuals. One example is the lack of acceptance causes mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and even suicide. In the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s recent article” How Do Mental Health Conditions Affect The LGBTQ Community?” NAMI wrote “LGBTQ individuals are almost 3 times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder”. People who identify as LGBTQ are susceptible to mental illnesses because of the lack of acceptance. Another example is many LGBT students do not feel safe at school. Students in school who identify as LGBT are threatened at school; consequently, LGBT students get harassed. LGBT students are often subjected to bullying by their peers. The students who bully are often unknowing of what the LGBT students go through, and their bullying harms them. Finally, the last example is the lack of education about the LGBT community and the problems facing it. The lack of knowledge on the LGBT community causes people who identify as LGBT to not get the information they need. Many students do not understand the LGBT community and can get misinformed about it. The misinformation can lead to issues like harassment and threats. By adding LGBT educations in the school’s curriculum people can be more informed on the LGBT community and in turn, be more accepting towards them.
Lastly, an injustice that compels people to act today is false accusations. One example of the injustice is in the workplace where people can lose their jobs due to false allegations made against them. The injustice compels people to act because, for many people, their jobs are their lifelines. Losing a job, especially as a result of a false accusation, can result in people having a difficult time acquiring a new job, which can create many other issues. In the most severe example, the target of a false accusation can be charged with a crime and even serve time in jail. Being accused of a crime and serving jail time places a scar on their personal and professional record. With a scar on a person’s record, it can make it difficult for them to find work. Difficulty finding work can lead to long term unemployment, which can severely damage a person. Lastly, it is difficult for victims of false accusations to be integrated back into society. Because of struggling to be integrated back into society, these people can even feel like strangers in their community. The people in their community will see them as a different person just because of a crime or jail time. By trying to stop false accusations, the impact on innocent people who are wrongfully accused of crimes they did not commit can be significantly reduced.
By better understanding these issues, people can take action to prevent them from taking place at all. Also, the impact of these injustices on others will be greatly limited. If victims of human trafficking can escape their captors and have opportunities to heal from their suffering, they will be able to operate in society. If there is a better understanding of the LGBT community and tolerance for their differences, members of the community will be accepted into society. Less bullying and harassment of the group of people will result in less depression and fewer suicides. If false accusations are more completely investigated, and the falsehoods revealed, fewer victims of false accusations will lose their jobs. Also, fewer will be wrongfully sentenced or jailed. In summary, by solving these injustices today, people can make the world a better place.
