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Oscar Cortez
Professor Ogbara
English 100, Section #0813
11 November 2014
The World and a Just Society
What power do we have to create a truly equitable society? I believe that American
people do not live in the so called post-racial era. Today all over the world people face
discrimination and hate because of who they are. Homosexuals, Lesbian, transvestites, and many
ethnic groups face this problem today everywhere and not just here in America. They dont get
to be who they are, it looks like their own identity has been taken away from them. Till this day
things that have happen in the past will soon arise in this present time. The power of our actions
should be able to show that we can build an equitable society by accepting those people for who
they are and not judging them because who they are. This world can be just, everyone needs to
accept who they are let that be it, and not make it a big deal. We have to learn and accept these
people and make them part of the society just like if they were regular people. I believe we do
have the power to create a truly equitable society if all accept the people for who they are and let
them be free from the judgment.
For the past couple of years there has been news reports where black men and teenagers
have been killed by white policemen. What should define a just community, I believe a just
community is where violence is at its lowest percent and that discrimination leaves the picture.
Discrimination has to be a major role on why people cant make a better community. In
Equitable Development Moves Forward in the Nations Capital by George D. Squires is about
pushing toward equitable development being able to be used in this current century. Politics,

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questions of power and process that address structural inequity and nurture systemic change,
remain key challenges (Squires 1). Does politics play a major factor in disrupting the peoples
power to create a better society? As the country was becoming what it is today America faced
many problems and that were its best to believe were politics jumped into the picture. Politics
seems to be a bad image but helps out the people who want changes made.
Even though that we live in the Post-Racial America there has been over many cases of
black men and teenagers being arrested and shot at for no apparent reason. One case where a
teenager Treyvon Martin was fatally shot because he was in the wrong neighborhood at the time.
The color of the man who pulled the trigger was white, George Zimmerman, what kind of man
just shoots a seven-teen year-old just because he was black and in the wrong place at the time.
When this went to trial, it was shocking that George Zimmerman didnt go to prison, I believe he
didnt go prison just because he was white. He should have been sent to prison for murdering an
unarmed teenager who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. What if it was the other way
around, I can picture the black man going to prison just because America is not Post-Racial.
Three years later a white police officer shot eighteen year old Michael Brown who unarmed also.
This case will most likely end the same with the police officer pleading not guilty. Why, is
America saying that they are Post-Racial when in reality black people or other ethnic groups
have it harder just because there not white. America has not changed and will not change until
someone brings this violence to stop, especially when teen are getting killed for no apparent
reason, its because of their skin color, and thats plain racist.
In other counties there can be other problems like being able to accept a gender and their
sexual diversity. Its hard to understand on how some people are affected by other peoples
choices. Its already bad enough that people cant get along with other races. Its to believe that

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South Africa differs because its one of the only African countries that protects its gay, bisexual,
lesbian, Trans, and intersex individuals. The Physiological Society of South Africa sexual and
gender diversity position statement: contributing towards a just society by Cornelius J. Victor,
Juan A. Nel, Ingrid Lynch, and Khonzi Mbatha is about the Psychological Society in South
Africa who conceive that sexual and gender diversity should be accepted and not be
discriminated. Nel says, The Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution explicitly
prohibits discrimination based on gender, sex, or sexual orientation (Republic of South Africa
1996). They saw the discrimination many people faced before this Bill of Rights was created, its
not just to have your people be less discriminate just because someone is either gay or lesbian.
People have the right to be whatever they want and we shouldnt judge them for that. We all
have differences that makes stick out from others, but that doesnt mean that others just get to
pick because youre not normal like them. Protecting the right to be gay or lesbian or even a
different sex is best when the actual government makes it an important part of their Bill of Rights
like South Africa. Legal protection, however, does not address the harmful effects of prejudice
and stigmatization prevalent in South African society, and the realization of equal rights in
everyday life has been more challenging (Nel 2007). It true that the government can make laws
to protect the rights of those who are sexually diverse, but will face a long run of challenges as
people will not care later in the future and will want their voice heard and would want this type
of law removed.
Sexual discrimination is one of the biggest reason why discrimination is at a high point.
The government has even cracked down on them not letting them to be able to marry each other
in certain cities and states in America. Why is this a big deal? Their sex should be something that
people should just ignore because people have the right to be whoever they want. What should a

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community be based on? Is being a different race and being gay or lesbian really a problem? No,
it shouldnt be that something that really odd to be fighting against to get rid of. People agree
that thats not the way to be living but what if their own children on grandchildren grow up being
a mixed race and being gay or lesbian. Are they going to judge them then? I dont believe. It all
has to start with children at young age to be able to accept that everyone can be equitable.
Cornelius J. Victor Argues, We argue that such a lens can be applied to all people who walk
through a professionals door and implies a cultivated and ongoing sensitivity to and acceptance
of sexual and gender diversity (Victor 296). An example is Neil Patrick Harris, a very famous
actor who came out to be gay and got married, people accepted him and did discriminate him.
This shows that famous people can be a very good example into showing the communities that
they can accept these people and not look at them like if their someone who out of their world.
Another place where a just society can begin is in school campuses. Starting in school to
help promote a better community would be a better way. As the students grow up they adapt to it
more and admire it. As parents are already getting old they tend to not care if they been
discriminated in the past. Since the really early days the weight of discrimination has always
been on blacks with Hispanic just behind them. In Building Community-Academic Research
Collaborations by Naomi Nichols she talks about Assets Coming for Youth which is research
alliance group that brings youth into an equitable participation process. Naomi claims that, A
positive youth development perspective highlights young peoples strengths, rather than their
deficiencies (Nichols 61). Developing students to think that discrimination is wrong is better
than making people who are full racist stop being so cruel to others. A great example is the
Military, a friend had told me from personal experience that they basically brain wash you into

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thinking once race are terrorist. Practice of trying to create better community should start as
young age so children can grow and be already the future into being a better and just society.
Recognizing the continuing racial and class segregation of cities she focused a laser on
the significance of place in shaping the nations opportunity structure (Squires 1). Rather than
trying to fix things right away, we should try to focus on the key points on why discrimination
still stands today. Figuring out why discrimination still stands today can be one of the main
points to focus on before starting a better community. Gregory Squires and the other authors
make a great point they believe that equitable development should be pushed towards the
nations capital. So, they will rather have the strongest branches of government being the main
people to create a better community. Some people may agree with as other may not. I believe
that the strongest government branches should deal with how we as people make decision and
make the practices towards building a just community. Practicing with the little power have can
still make a change on the community, but still the government still play a major role on how
society runs. Politics, questions of power and process that address structural inequity and
nurture systemic change, remain key challenges (Squires 3). As this is still a problem as of
today, politics still play a key role and will be a quite a while until this problem reaches the
congress. They tend to look deeper into the problem and always figure out how to fix the
problem that stands today. We all need to push towards this problem and make congress believe
that this can be a good way to start our push into creating a lot of equitable societies across the
nation. Only the people can push towards a better society and thats the power we have to create
a just society.
Another way you can look at building a just community is by learning together the tough
tensions and contradictions that we face today. A community-academic research alliance that

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brings together multi-disciplinary academics, graduate student research assistants, community
stakeholders and youth research interns (Nichols 1). This idea of making research with an
alliance of young people is better because the youngest people today hold the key towards
building a just country instead of a community. As the younger generation grow into better
people they can keep the main focus of making a better community in their minds. Someone or
some group will eventually push towards making a better society a one point as time passes.
Discrimination is showed everywhere from television shows to movies.
In For the Equitable City yet to come by Tanja Winkler, she talks about the people in
South Africa on how they have a positive contribution towards the democracy and development
of the country. Tanja states that:
A range of theoretical positions exist to explain planning as a phenomenon and to
provide ideas for how planning should be conducted, and this paper will draw from
aspects of collaborative planning, social transformation, and Just City theories to explain
the different approaches adopted by civic associations in their quest to reshape the public
domain (4)
As the government and people make better ideas on how to make a better society those practices
to be put into effect for a short period of time to see if the people want to cooperate with what
will one day unify all of us as one just community. Isnt there a saying practice makes perfect?
Then why not push towards making progress and start practicing with can make this whole
country equitable.
Post-conflict development strategies for ethnic reintegration has been another key
making a better society. Post-conflict strategies limit their potential of reconciling ethnically
opposed groups due to their (mis)understanding of the role that ethnicity plays in conflict

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(Jarczweska 2). So it wouldnt be a great idea to use post-conflict strategies because they were
made to work once. Why not just make the idea that been used once and remake it into
something that can be more understandable today and for people to follow. This type of thinking
really considered into using really deep physiological thought into it. The main focus has to be
not just discrimination, but on the violence that created also, with many people breaking their
social bonds and mutual trust between one another. Rebuilding trust in the community has to
start with the community being able to trust one another and keep the social chain for a strong as
possible.
One day we will have the day were every single of these people will be accepted. Martin
Luther King in his famous I have a Dream speech said that once day that any color person will
one day be able to be one community. Dr. King says, I have a dream that one day this nation
will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal." (King). Until this day comes, this country will not be just until
everyone can be can accepted and be equal. The dream of Dr. King has not been yet
accomplished and we need to push towards the dream so everyone can one and be an equitable
society.
Who what really makes an equitable society? Not the just people but the government play
a role into making a better society. Not just discrimination but violence should be the main
points to focus on before we all move towards making a better society. The idea of making a law
to protect other people just because they are either gay or lesbian is a great, but like Neil Patrick
Harris as example or even role model, to younger children can be a good, so as they view this as
their young accept it once they become young adults. Its now to believe that people have power

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through politics because we vote on what we want change and only the community can towards a
better stable friendship.

Work Cited
Jarczewska, Daria, et al. "Ethnic Reintegration in Post-Conflict Development Strategies."
EInternational Relations. E-International Relations, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Nichols, Naomi, et al. "Building Equitable Community-Academic Research Collaborations."
Gateways: International Journal of Community Research & Engagement 6. (2013): 5776. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
Squires, Gregory D, Dominic T. Moulden, and Kalfani N. Ture. "Equitable Development Moves
Forward In The Nation's Capital." Social Policy 44.2 (2014): 70-72.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
Winkler, Tanja. "For The Equitable City Yet To Come." Planning Theory & Practice 10.1
(2009): 65-83. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
Victor, Cornelius J, et al. "The Psychological Society of South Africa Sexual and Gender
Diversity Position Statement: Contributing Towards a Just Society." South African
Journal of Psychology 44.3 (2014): 292-302. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Nov.
2014.