Is Racism and anti-Semitism still a problem in the United States Essay

Is Racism and anti-Semitism still a problem in the United States - Essay Example The country has literally shed blood of innocent civilians to fight for few basic rights that are God-given. Racism and anti-Semitism are prevalent in American society due to enactment of affirmative action, ethnic profiling post September 11, and the vague existence of the KKK. Racism and anti-Semitism still exist in American society due to the fact that affirmative action legislatures were enacted to give minorities an opportunity for employment. Affirmative action, are set public policies that are specifically designed to help diminish racism and prejudice based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, is under attack(Morris, 2011, p. 25). After the blood shed and citizen after the civil war, Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery (Morris, 2011, p.30). In addition, the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law while the Fifteenth Amendment declines racial discrimination during elections. However one must wonder, even with all the legislations enacted, discrimination continues to be the focal point in society. Clearly, the 1866 Civil Rights Act guarantees every citizen "the same right to make and enforce contracts ... as is enjoyed by white citizens...† Thus, how is that African Americans and other minorities continue to struggle to find employment and are deterred from entering academic intuitions (Morris,2011, p.34)? Clearly, anti-affirmative action enables minorities to be embedded in the work and schools so society does not discriminate against them. Keeping everything in constant, the American society is designed in a way to protect White workers against job layoffs since majority of the executives in the American Society are dominated by male executives. Hence, racism becomes a â€Å"sparking fireball,† as many Americans feel as if they would be unemployed as minorities will continue to take their current posts. Evidently, the root cause of job displacement that W hite workers face with have to do with corporate decisions to downsize, and labor outsourcing internationally along with, computerization and automation. Downsizing. The small majority of minorities that do occupy an outstanding position often become key victims of hatred and discrimination. While substantial gains have been made to promote minorities, women and African America; the smaller groups continue to be harshly faced with discrimination and prejudice in the corporate world. Undoubtedly, the enactment of affirmative action legislature, companies confirms that racism and anti-Semitism are still prevalent in society. Another vital reason why racism and anti-Semitism no doubt continue to still exist in American society is due to the fact that ethnic profiling plagues society even in the modern 21st century. Prior to September 11, immigration laws were somewhat moderate as many immigrants from Asia and Middle East continue to migrate to America for jobs. As the World Trade Cente r fell, citizens of America were scared and horrified. Twenty-five days later, still reeling with shock, the government quickly took decisive action to make Osama Bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaeda to be responsible for the attacks. Bin Laden was part of an Islamic conservative group that believed in implying sharia. Thus, Muslims become the focal point of issue in society. After the September 11 attacks, many people became interested in Islam, yet the government discouraged the public from learning about different viewpoints (Friedman

Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Government - Essay Example In spite of the deliberate effort to keep political parties out, the United States was the first nation to have formally recognized political parties as far back as in 1800. These political parties gained executive powers through elections, and in thirty years political parties were an indispensable part of the American political system. A political party has been defined as â€Å"an autonomous group of citizens having the purpose of making nominations and contesting elections in hope of gaining control over governmental power through the capture of public offices and the organization of the government† (Hukshorn, 1984). Presently, there are two main political parties in the United States -- the Republican and Democratic parties. All elected representatives, whether they be president, congressional representative, state governor or state legislator have to members of either of these two parties. There is no denying the fact that the two-party system in the United States has emerged as a result or reflection of the desire of the electorate that is the people. In other nations of the world which have a two-party system, each party represents conflicting ideological perspectives. In the United States, however, the two parties have tended not to adhere strictly to any one ideology or policy objectives. â€Å"Generally, Republicans have tended to support limiting federal powers and protecting the authority of state and local governments, to take a conservative approach to taxation and spending, and to oppose government interference with free enterprise. In contrast, Democrats have tended to take a more expansive view of the powers of the federal government, to support raising and spending money to address social ills on a national basis, and to favour federal regulation as a tool to improve business practices† (Bibby, 2004). The problem