Systems of Oppression - Essay Example

Chasin. Every person has a part to play in this oppression, and it is up to every citizen of the world to change the situation. Systems of Oppression Is a Socially Constructed Reality Any person who is black, lesbian or female undergoes ample struggle, especially during the crisis times. This discrimination occurs due to pure ignorance and the inability to bear anything different. Amidst all the global village adverts and unity in diversity claims of the modern world, we still see people segmented based on various identities like race, nationality and cultural ties.

Vicks, a transgender lady who calls herself Sharlie, was stranded in the floods during Hurricane Katrina. She attempted to take a shower in the evacuation centre in the ladies bathroom for which she was arrested and subjected to solitary confinement for a week. She had to leave behind two infants who were under her care. The LGBT communities who played a major role in helping the Hurricane Katrina victims staged their dissatisfaction strongly, after which she was released from prison and united with her mother and nieces.

Vicks did not want to make a fuss of what was done to her, but expressed her heartfelt sympathies to everyone whose rights have been denied because they have a different sexual preference (Carter). Any lady who had used the bathroom along with Sharlie could have avoided this incident if they had the capacity to bear differences. Systems of Oppression is Invisible “Blame it on the victims” is a popular way to oppress a person invisibly. During Hurricane Katrina, several white people and members of the other communities who owned vehicles and other resources refused to lend them to poor black families.

They preferred to let their cars flood and get submerged under the water, instead of lending it to some black family for the fear of have them stolen. They were ready to afford the repair cost rather than save people’s lives. Nearly all black people were treated with hostility like plunderers, and every new black face in the area was welcomed with a gun pointed at their faces, even in such a grave situation (Malik Rahim). The wrong perception about black people and lack of communication between various communities in the area lead to havoc.

This mentality can be seen in so many areas of health care, insurance, public welfare and individual growth. Several people come to America cherishing the dream of “rags to riches,” but only a very few are able to achieve the same. There is always an Oprah Winfrey or a rich immigrant to show as an example. However, the wounds and obstacles they have to undergo just because they have a different colour of the skin are not mentioned anywhere or anytime whatsoever. Dalkon Shield was a birth control device which paved the way for destroyed health of several women who used it.

When the company was sued regarding the issue, it blamed completely the ethnic minority women using them, refusing to take any responsibility for the defect in the product. Even though the product was banned after severe protest from feminist groups in the US, it continued to sell in more than 70 countries without any issue for decades (Chasin). If such an issue had been aroused with a product used by white women, the company would have