Lee Woods
Sociology
November 8, 2000
         Discrimination is very widespread in America.  All of the citizens in the U.S. receive unfair opportunities from discrimination whether they know it or not.  People that fall into these discriminating groups are in some way benefiting from it.  I fall into five categories:  heterosexual, white, male, U.S. citizen, and able-bodied; all groups that discriminate and therefore benefit me.
         Because heterosexuals use discrimination against homosexual people, somewhere down the line I benefit from it.  Most people in society today do not accept homosexuals.  They believe that they are evil or inferior to heterosexuals.  A perfect example of this is that homosexuals are not permitted to be in the military.  The government denies their right to fight for their country simply because of their sexuality.  This allows heterosexual people like myself to take the open military positions.  Another example of homosexual discrimination that benefits me is the government not allowing them to marry.  This keeps them from receiving tax breaks and government funding that I can receive if I choose to get married.  These are some of the examples of how homosexual discrimination benefits me and other heterosexuals.
         I also benefit from discrimination because I am white.  Caucasians are segregated from people of color by their different neighborhoods.  On job applications, this causes employers to choose whites over people of other race.  The employers see that someone is from a certain neighborhood that’s classified as “colored” and they usually decline the person’s application.  This benefits me and other whites because I can receive the jobs that are denied to someone of a certain neighborhood or area.  Another way I receive opportunities from being white is at work.  At my job I receive bonuses and gift certificates for ringing up the most items.  When customers see that I am white they do not hesitate to go through my line.  However, when customers see a colored cashier, some pass them by and go to a different line.  This discrimination helps me because I get more customers than people of other races, which will give me an unfair advantage at earning bonuses.  These cases shown here are ways that I benefit from being white.
         Because I am a male, I benefit in society from female discrimination.  Females are discriminated against with crime.  A woman is more likely to get mugged because they are perceived as weak and defenseless, whereas men are perceived as strong and capable of fighting back.  This benefits me as a male because I am less likely to lose my money or car to a thief.  Another way female discrimination helps me receive more opportunities is in sports.  Today, there is only a Woman’s National Basketball Association.  A Woman’s National Football League, Woman’s National Hockey League, or a Woman’s Major League Baseball do not exist.  This gives me unfair advantages as a male because I have the opportunity to join a professional sports team and earn enormous amounts of money.  These examples show how female discrimination benefits me in some way.
         My U.S. Citizenship also gives me unfair advantages in life.  Immigrants are almost always denied well-paying jobs in the U.S.  This helps me because not only can I take these profitable jobs, but also give foreigners minimal pay for the work they do.  I also gain opportunities through discrimination with voting.  People without United States Citizenship or a Green Card cannot vote for the President.  This benefits me because I can elect someone to office that will help my problems and not a foreigner’s problems.  This is also true with local elections for governor and mayor.  This shows that being a United States Citizen gives me unfair opportunities over a foreigner.
        Another way I receive opportunities is because I am able-bodied.  Handicapped people are discriminated against in many places.  Many stores and businesses are not wheelchair accessible, which prevents paralyzed or wheelchair-bound people from entering.  This benefits me because I can purchase goods from these stores and work for these businesses because I am able-bodied.  Another form of discrimination against the handicapped is in school.  Schools are wheelchair accessible, however, I benefit because I can make it to class in the standard ten-minute breaks in between.  A person in a wheelchair has to do extra work to gather his or her belongings, go down or up each floor, and wheel themselves to another building.  This gives me advantages because I learn the ten or fifteen minutes worth of material taught while the handicapped person is still trying to get to class.  This helps me excel in the areas that they miss or have to make up.  These examples show how I receive advantages because I am able-bodied.
        Many people do not realize the benefits they receive from the discrimination of others.  The large amount of discrimination in the U.S. gives people in certain categories unfair advantages over others.  My five categories:  heterosexual, white, male, U.S. citizen, and able bodied all give me extra opportunities in one way or another.