A Bumpy Ride to Suicide

In today's society, our minds have perceived certain groups to be more superior than others. For example, it could be as simple as isolating the scrawny boy with glasses from the others when choosing a teammate for kickball, to intense discrimination of choosing a man over a woman with the same qualifications in the work field. The same can be said and done to the LGB (lesbian-gay-bi) individuals nationally and globally. Due to religious and traditional reasons, many heterosexuals consider themselves ranked above all and make it hard for those who are different to live an acceptable life. From the article presented by Reuters, a study was conducted stating "[LGB] teens are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers" (Pittman). Statistics were also presented in this article to provide more depth of how serious of an issue this is to all ages. Surveying young high school students has shockingly revealed how much suicide comes to their minds, majority attempting them because of bullying, discrimination, and emotional sexual abuse. Many of the homosexual teenagers describe how difficult and distressing their experiences are, causing them to commit life-threatening actions. Since all ages can relate to these issues, the article targets any audience from teens to adults from all around the world. Emotion is a major element in this article. For example, an interviewee stated "Every kid has to be protected, every kid has to be safe.." , which implicitly criticizes the social effects of peer pressure. 
  
We want our future generations, regardless of their sexual affiliation, to have a comfortable environment to live in. The stories presented in the news and internet tend to take a conservative side that misleads our nation to have one solid perception. Because of this, our friends, family members, or acquaintances could be at risk on any opinion that they may share.

Personally, I wrote about this topic neither supporting nor opposing the LGB people in our country. I wanted to get the idea through that groups who are considered "inferior" in our society undergo treatment that no human should go through. Thomas Jefferson used some wise words when writing our Constitution; "All men are created equal." Unfortunately, this principle is a rarity these days. 

Pittman, Genevra. "Social environment linked to gay teen suicide risk." Reuters. (2011): n. page. Web. 18 Sep. 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/18/us-gay-teen-suicide-idUSTRE73H1GV20110418>.