Gender Wage Inequality in America

 In the USA, the wage gap between men and women has been an ongoing issue. 50 years ago, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay act that sought to end gender discrimination within the work place. However, wage gaps were still present. 

 President Obama signed an extension of Kennedy's act called the Paycheck Fairness Act and declared one of his primary objectives would be to close these wage gaps. But still, men are payed more than women. It is estimated that women earn 77 cents compared to a dollar earned by a man. An NPR article deeply explores this issue: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125998232

Jackie Robison's Mission Complete

 I am a huge fan of baseball but before my time, the sport was regarded as "a white man's game." African Americans were forced into their own Negro Leaque and were not accepted into the MLB. This discrimination was ended when first basemen Jackie Robison was made part of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He faced trials but was known as a great player, winning the rookie of the year in 1947 and National League MVP in 1949. Robison paved the way for non-white professional baseball players.

 Jackie Robison's mission of allowing everyone the chance to play in the MLB was completed. Today, many of the greatest names in baseball are minorities or from other countries; from the Cardinals' Carlos Beltron to the Yankees' legendary closing pitcher Mariano Rivera. Discrimination in the sport of baseball has been banished thanks to number 42, the great Jackie Robison.

Stuck on Lay-Off

 The recent government shutdown has finally ended, or at least funded. However, during the shutdown, many government workers were laid off for the duration of the shutdown. In addition, they were not given the chance to seek employment in other work places. This violated the workers rights to earn an income and support their families. Understandably, this issue and other issues surrounding the government shutdown has outraged many American citizens. Fortunately for the laid off workers, the income lost was paid when the decision to end the shutdown was made. However, how and why could anyone deny a person the opportunity to be employed during a lay-off?

DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional, Finally

 Today, 14 states in the USA allow same-sex marriage. However, same-sex married couples were denied the rights and benefits granted to straight married couples due to the Deffence of Marrige Act or DOMA. This law was made in 1996 to protect "the institution of traditional marriage." Now that same-sex marriage is legal in some states, the law negatively affected people who were married in an "untraditional" way. This year, on June 26, DOMA was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Finally, same-sex couples have access to the federal benefits of straight couples. Another step has been made towards equlaity. The following link leads to an article on Huffington Post that explains DOMA and the battle to repeal it. The article was posted in May of 2012, over a year before it was repealed. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1559031

The article states argrruments both for and against the repeal of DOMA.

Taught Equal Treatment of All

 I am from a small town in Missouri that had little diversity. Thus, many people where not exposed to different cultures and types is people. So, racism and homophobia were common. However, my parents taught me to treat everyone (regardless of race, sex, or sexual orientation) equally. Being taught this from a young age made me passionate about human rights and equality. 

 Exposure to different people also contributed to my interest in this issue. My uncle, as well as a former classmate of mine, wittinessed  discrimination because they were gay. This made me want to help reduce and stand against homophobia. 

Fighting for Education- Malala Yousafzai

 Last week I was introduced to the incredible bravery of a teenage woman from Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai. The 16 year old girl was determined to gain an education, inspired by her father who is a teacher and woman's rights supporter. However, the Taliban's presence was felt when Yousafzai was shot by members of the infamous group because she was being educated. Unfortunately, this often occurs when young women seek education in nations where the Taliban holds power. Yousafzai  survived the attack and dedicated herself to becoming a spokesperson for children across the world attempting to gain an education. Her bravery made her a candidate for the nobel peace price, making the young woman's story gain even more international attention. More about Malala and her father's inspiration can be read at this NPR article:http://www.npr.org/2013/10/15/234730460/malala-yousafzai-a-normal-yet-powerful-girl  The video below is an interview Malala did with Jon Stwart on "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central.

Striving for Equality

 One of my "top 10" figures mentioned in my "Top 10 Difference Makers" post is Susan B. Anthony. She was pivotal in the Wonan's suffrage movement during the mid and late 1800's. Here is one of
Anthony's many inspirational quotes stating her goal of complete equality: 

"There will never be complete equality until women themselves help to make laws and select lawmakers."

Image credit: 

http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/Photos/pix/susan_b.JPG