Social Issues in America

There are many social issues in America today that people know of, but do not realize how prominent they still are. Many people are privileged enough to not have to worry or even necessarily think about these issues. Instead, people stay ignorant of these issues when they should be doing everything in their power to help. These pictures depict just a few of these issues. Hunger, religious persecution, and human trafficking are some of the most important problems in America.

Although enough food is produced to feed everyone, millions of people go hungry every day. People are greedy, and take more than they need and sometimes more than they want. Instead of donating food that cannot be sold in grocery stores, it is thrown away and wasted. 

Religious persecution is also a major issue in America today. Even though people today are much more open and accepting of religious diversity, religious persecution still exists. Many people came from England to escape religious persecution in early America, and while they did find more freedom than in England, they still had to face persecution because of their religious beliefs.

Human trafficking does not seem as prominent in this day and age, but it still is. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are taken and forced into human trafficking. It is like a modern-day slavery, however it is fiercely under-exaggerated. Fear of their traffickers, language barriers, and fear of law enforcement are just a few reasons why most human trafficking stays unknown.

Claim:

Although social issues such as hunger, religious persecution, and human trafficking are not as obvious today, they are still very prominent issues that people need to be better educated of.

According to the Pew Research Center Survey, 82% of adult Americans say that Muslims are subject to discrimination in the United States today. 64% of adult Americans also say that Jews are discriminated against. Although these issues are not as prominent or obvious today as they were in the past, it is still very much an issue.

600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are bought and sold every year. 50% are estimated to be children and there are 1.5 million victims in America. The average lifespan of a victim of human trafficking is 7 years. Many victims die from attack, abuse, STD’s, malnutrition, overdose or suicide. It is estimated that human trafficking will surpass the sale of illegal drugs within the next few years.









Bibliography

“America's True History of Religious Tolerance.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Oct. 2010, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/. 

“Facts About Hunger and Poverty in America.” Feeding America, Feeding America, https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/facts.

Masci, David. “Many Americans See Religious Discrimination in U.S. – Especially against Muslims.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 17 May 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/17/many-americans-see-religious-discrimination-in-u-s-especially-against-muslims/. 

“What Are the Statistics on Human Trafficking of Children?” Ark of Hope for Children, 9 Apr. 2019, https://arkofhopeforchildren.org/child-trafficking/child-trafficking-statistics.

 “What Is Human Trafficking?” Department of Homeland Security, 28 June 2019, https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking.