Discrimination - Making a Difference

Making a difference

Discrimination is the unjust treatment of different categories of people or things. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear discriminate is minorities, women, and homosexuals. These groups of people have been attacked for years and not too many people know about the history behind it. George Chauncey a writer and Martin Luther King Jr. a preacher both bought their views out on discrimination. Chauncey wrote about the history of homosexuals and how they were treated about 50 years ago. While king talked about African American and their rights in his speech. In Chauncey story "The Legacy of Antigay Discrimination" he mentions aspects of current gay life or should I say the gay rights that didn't exist 50 years ago. In kings "I Have a Dream" speech he also speaks of discrimination, but in his case African American play the victim role. The homosexual discrimination and the African American discrimination is not the only difference. Both Chauncey and king take diverse approaches with tone, repetition, and persuasive appeals to achieve their purpose of informing the society about the cruel history of discrimination.

Chauncey and king both use different tones to catch their audience attention. Instead of Chauncey putting his opinion and how he feels, he stays mutual and simply states "gay people were scorned and ridiculed, made to feel ashamed, afraid, and alone" (290). Even though he really doesn't get into all the pain, Chauncey makes sure his audience knows that homosexuals were subjected to horrible embarrassment. He states that most people were focused on "suppressing gay life" (292). Chauncey then points out that "countless teachers, hospital workers. And other state and municipal employees also lost their jobs as a result of official policy" (291). Even though he doesn't give details on his facts by providing examples, he does show how far the law would go to make sure that gay life was not possible. Chauncey was able to keep a serious tone throughout his essay. King, on the other hand captures audience attention with his passionate and inspiring words. For instance, he compares "a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity" (643) to the emancipation proclamation. Even though the struggle was not over, he wants his audience to know that it is just the beginning and many will come. King then announced that it was "time to lift [their] nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood" (644). Those words are to help rise spirits from their suffering. King wants his audience to focus on the future and not let their past keep them down. He wants his audience to "not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred" (644-645). Instead of punishing the one who denied their justice, king wants them to keep their faith and hope for the best. King instill his own beliefs, and inspires them with his words.

Both Chauncey and king explain the history of discrimination, but they use different persuasive appeals to achieve their own purpose. Chauncey uses academic text to appeal to his readers. In his case logical reasoning and verifiable facts are used to express the history of discrimination.