Do you believe that everyone should be treated equally? I’d like to think everybody in this school would say yes, but unfortunately I recognize this is simply not my reality. There are many who are against the degrading behavior towards people. However, a vast majority find it entertaining to judge or they may not even recognize their faulty behavior. Since this is a huge problem, I believe in treating every individual equally. 

One day, I sat in the front of my history class and to my dismay heard others making hurtful comments in regards to race, religion, and gender. They used insults that targeted Jews, African Americans, Muslims, and women. I’m sure you have heard comments like this before. It was completely random, nothing had prompted those comments. Maybe they thought it was funny or just wanted to seem “cool” in front of their friends.  But what these high school students didn’t realize was that those remarks might have been offensive to people who didn’t look, act, or believe in the same things as them. People who didn’t fit their description of “normal”. The people, who dared to not fit into the boxes society put around them, are actually just my fellow students who are attempting to get a good education and make a bright future for themselves. However, they may have felt like they were being held back by the comments of someone who doesn’t discern the harm they are causing. This is all because they are different from the tormenter. They are not the same race, religion, or gender, so based upon that, they were judged as if they were not as important.  Of course I felt empathetic, but what could I, one person possibly do to solve a global problem? It is 2017, why are we still seeing discrimination? There are many teens and adults that act against it, but the problem is reoccurring. There are some people who are afraid of being judged themselves. Treating everyone as equals can be as simple as not allowing a rude comment to slip from your mouth about someone who is not like you. Just from a simple event that happened in  my history class, I was provoked to believe that treating people that are different in any way as if they are not as important is dishonorable.

Treating people as equals will create a more peaceful environment not just in a school, but throughout the entire world. It will allow people who stick out or seen as different to have the same chance at a great life as any other individual. A small change in everyone’s behavior would allow more friendships than enemies, more peace than war, and generally speaking a better place to live and thrive together. Therefore, I believe every single person should receive the same rights and be treated as fair equals.