On this date- Rena Childers

After a long, unproductive search for interesting events on these days, I came across one that caught my attention. On October 9, 1991, United States’ Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney publicly gave his support to the policy declared by the Pentagon saying that homosexuals would not be allowed to fight in the military. Being a strong supporter of equal rights for all, no matter gender, race, or sexual preference, this infuriates me.

Our declaration of Independence clearly states that “all men are created equal.” As a nation we struggled with this concept in regards to slavery, but finally decided it was against our values. The fact that in 1991, the same issue was in question truly disheartens me. Have we not learned that discrimination prevents us from making progress?

Even today minorities and women face many disadvantages in the workplace. As much as people try to say it’s not true (yes, I’m talking to you Charlie and Sloan), it is a fact that women are paid 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. Similarly, minorities are not given as many opportunities for promotions and head positions.

What will it take for us to learn that every person deserves to be treated equally?