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Essay / What does the American flag represent: true justice and equality
Table of contentsIntroductionAmerica's strugglesConclusionIntroductionTo the question: "What does the American flag represent?" » for an essay, it is important to recognize that the flag represents justice and equality. However, does America exhibit these characteristics? America's history of racial discrimination in the justice system and unequal rights suggests that the country has not yet achieved true social and racial equality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAmerica's StruggleAmerica is normalizing racism in the form of racial criminal injustices. The United States has a history of racism in American courts. Although not directly implied, discrimination peaks in almost every court case. In the United States, two black men were wrongly convicted of murder in 1976 and were released after 43 years in 2019. Clifford Williams and Nathan Myer were at a party at the time of the shootings. Apart from the dozens of people present, they were the only ones to be arrested. Numerous pieces of evidence established that they were not guilty. Victim claims to have seen two guns fired, when in fact ballistics tests prove only one gun was present (Meghan Keneally “2 men wrongly convicted of 1976 murder released after 43 years behind bars” March 29, 2019) . Although the men's liberation newscast is recent, it has never been widely broadcast because the American media does not have much interest in the subject. This conveys the message that discrimination doesn't get much attention in the United States and that it took 40 years just to vindicate their innocence. A similar experience is recounted in To Kill a Mockingbird, where Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape. In the story, the entire town of Maycomb is quick to assume that Tom is guilty because of the color of his skin. Although there is no proof of the crime, hatred boils in people's skin when they hear this story. Robinson's case is an example of how racist views cannot defeat a jury and can cost an innocent person's life. Atticus explains courtroom prejudice to his children: "The only place a man should get a fair deal is in a courtroom, no matter what color the rainbow is, but People have a way of taking their resentments straight into a courtroom. jury box” (Lee 295). A person can be of any race, but every trial will always be partially biased. It is then the role of the person to accept the truth and fight for justice. Today, the courts continue to lead a faultless life in prison and sometimes even in death. This is not fair to the innocent people who believe the judge and jury and their false accusations because of their prejudices and racist views. America is considered a major player in the area of health inequity. In the United States, people are treated differently not only based on their race, but also based on their financial situation. Low-income families do not have access to necessities such as: insurance, grocery bills, rent, and most importantly, health care. Between 2011 and 2013, 38% of household members earning less than $22,500 per year reported poor or fair health. Only 12% of households earning more than $47,700 per year reported poor or fair health (Kimberly Amadeo “Health Care Inequality in America,” June 25, 2019). The rich canafford all the medicines and medications needed to keep them healthy and worry-free, while the poor find it difficult to live and stay healthy due to the high cost of these treatments. This means that states care more about their economies than the health of citizens. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is presented as a poor man with a family to support. In the novel, Robinson's arm was injured in a cotton gin accident, resulting in the muscles in his left arm being torn and unable to function. If it were a rich man, he would have easily repaired it and been able to have two functioning arms. But in Tom's case, he can't afford the operation. Another example is that of the Ewells. It is about a white family who lives near the dump and is affected by poverty and is considered "poor white trash". Near the beginning of the novel, Burris Ewell is seen covered in mud and lice. He is dirty and neglected due to his standard of living at home. If his family belonged to a higher class, it would be hygienic and tidy because they would no longer live near a landfill and would no longer have to live in unsanitary conditions. Scout further explains the effect of poverty on the Ewells' health: Every town had families like the Ewells. . . .(they) lived as guests of the county in prosperity as well as in the depths of depression. . . no public health worker could free them from congenital malformations, various worms and diseases inherent in dirty environments. (Lee 227) Many people's illnesses are becoming more and more serious, but unfortunately, they are common and not considered a threat in America. Economic separation affects the health of most Americans, and many live lives similar to those of the Ewells and Tom Robinson, in which they cannot access appropriate medical care due to affordability concerns. America fails to treat women the way it treats men. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the women in the novel are expected to adopt feminine behaviors. In the story, Harper Lee shows how women are (supposedly) supposed to dress and act in this era. Aunt Alexandra continually criticizes Scout for not acting "like a lady": Aunt Alexandra was fanatical about my dress. I couldn't hope to be a lady if I wore knickers; when I said I couldn't do anything in a dress, she said I wasn't supposed to do things that required pants. Aunt Alexandra's vision of my behavior involved playing with little stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace she gave me when I was born; besides, I should be a ray of sunshine in my father's lonely life. I suggested that you might as well be a ray of sunshine in pants, but aunt said you had to act like a ray of sunshine, that I was born good but was getting progressively worse every year. (Lee 108) People often assume that women are supposed to be tender and nurturing. It is common for women to stay at home and take care of household chores and their children while men go out and work. If a woman does not meet these expectations, she will be labeled as masculine and defective. In the novel, the only time a woman is seen working is when Tom Robinson's wife, Helen, desperately needs a job to support her family after her husband's death. This implies the message that women are not encouraged to enter the workforce unless they are in desperate need. Even if.