“There is no normal outside of the dictionary”
Definition of Normal: Conforming to a standard; unusual, typical, or expected.
People define “normal” very differently. It can be from the way people dress, to parts of their identity. Perry and Emma are both high school students who were uncertain of how to define normal, but their view changed when they were told about some of the major issues in the world today.
Racism is a huge issue in society today. 58 percent of Americans think racism is a big issue today, while 29 percent think it’s not so much. The remaining 12 didn’t have an opinion. Racism has doubled since 2011. Perry Bender a 15 year old who attends Rex Putnam. She was asked if racism was an issue today. Bender said “Yes, I’m not directly affected by it, but people around me are.”
Emma Mason, a sophomore who goes to Putnam was asked like Perry, if racism is an issue. She answered “Yes, and no. Today, people are more accepting of people of color, but there are still some major issues that have remained unsolved.” Racism is one the biggest remaining issues in America. If people think it’s such a problem, then why hasn’t it been solved?
There is an estimation of two to three million children raised by bisexual, lesbian, gay and transgender parents. “Along with the bullying faced by many sexual minority children in schools, children raised by LGBT parents often experience harassment as well.” (Gay parents and the fight for acceptance, by Romeo Vitelli). In 2017, 62 percent of Americans support Gay marriage while 32 percent oppose.
When Perry was asked if she thinks there is discriminations against those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, ect… Bender said “I think people’s prejudices holds people back from creating new relationships, but I don’t directly face this is in day to day life.”
Emma was asked the same question and said, “Yes. I see it everyday all over the news. I think it’s wrong how people can be so disrespectful, when it should not even be an issue.” Again, discrimination against those who are LGBT is still an issue today.
After the students were asked about some of the biggest issues in the world today, they were asked what is normal once again. “Society has made this idea of normal but nothing is really normal. Everybody is different.” Perry said. “I think there is no definition of normal outside of the dictionary.” Said Emma.
People may not realize how big some of these issues are in the world. Acceptance is something many still fight for to this day. Normality may not be an existing word to some, because it puts things in one perspective and in one category. Perry Bender and Emma Mason were uncertain of how to define normal in the beginning, but realized that normal is just another excluding word.