Look How Far We've Come Since The 1900's | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Look How Far We've Come Since The 1900's

Look at the glass as half full not half empty, and you'll stop taking such tremendous progress for granted.

168
Look How Far We've Come Since The 1900's
Newsworks

Twenty or thirty years ago, nobody would have believed that our nation would genuinely consider selecting a woman to become our next President of the United States of America. For us millennials, however, the thought of a woman candidate not being taken as seriously or not being considered for the position as equally as a male candidate just doesn't make sense. Millennials have grown up in an era where anything is possible, and every day we begin to accept new ideas and concepts. I guess you could say that we take these monumental moments, such as a woman being one of our choices in the Presidential election, for granted. We've had it too good. We need to take a step back and realize that we have a front row seat to history in the making. We are witnessing amazing things that our parents and grandparents couldn't have dreamed of occurring when they were our age.

Millennials live in a world where gay rights should be seen as human rights, where a woman should be treated as equally as a man or where the color of someone's skin should not determine how they are treated by others or their opportunities in life.

That's the world that millennials live in. A world of the possibility of true equality. We can practically taste it, and we certainly expect it!

Unfortunately, that's not the world that has always existed. It's been a long journey for gay rights, civil rights, women's rights and religious rights. A loooooong journey. Millennials have not been there for the majority of the journey and perhaps that’s why we sometimes take the progress that has been made for granted. Sometimes we don't think that we've come that far. We don't understand why all people, regardless of race, gender or sexuality, aren't treated equally. We expect people to be treated equally because we (me, you, him and her) are ALL people. We are all the same. What makes me better than you or you better than me? Definitely not our race, gender or sexuality... that's for sure. If anything, those are the things that should matter the least.

So, it seems that because we haven't reached total equality, we tend to take the progress that society has made for granted. Yes, we read about it in the history books and online, but millennials haven't actually lived through the Women's Suffrage Movement or the Civil Rights Movement like our parents or grandparents did. I guess because we didn't live through it, we really can't grasp how much progress has actually been made in society.

We need to take a step back.

This nation has come SO far from the 1900s. We have a woman running for President, a woman who may actually win! That's incredible. Two people of the same sex can walk down the street without having others harass them, and in nearly every state they can even become legally married. For the past eight years, we have had the first black President occupying the White House. That's amazing if you compare this to life during the 1900s for woman, gay people and people of color. SO much has changed for the better.

But.. there are still problems with gender, race and sexual equality today.

Women are still paid less than men in the work force. People are still treated differently and harshly and often cruelly by others if they are gay, lesbian, trans, etcetera. People of color are often treated unfairly in the justice system. Those are all still MAJOR problems. I'm not saying we don't have a ways to go before equality truly exists in all facets of life. We do.

But... stop and take a step back and just look at how far we have come.

Don't always focus on what's left to do. Think of the glass as half full not half empty!

Celebrate how far we have come. Let it motivate you to progress more. Appreciate and understand how much better and more fair life is now for so many types of people than it was twenty or thirty years ago. We are living during such a beautiful period of life where so many issues have been dealt with and we are able to move on to the next ones. We are living in a time where almost any thought can become a reality.

It is possible to fix injustices in this world, and I believe that one day we will. But for now let's just take a second to be proud of how far we have come.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179239
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6403
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451918
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22970
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments