Civil Rights Lawyer Offers Protection

Even though it’s illegal to discriminate, it happens all the time. That’s when an attorney who specializes in these offenses needs to be brought into the picture. Here are some examples of modern day situations and cases of civil rights violations:

- Religious persecution: America was originally started because the Puritans were being discriminated against by officials in England. They settled in a new country in order to have religious freedom. Still, people today are hassled on a regular basis for being a certain religion.

- Race: Racial profiling still occurs today as well. Back in the days of segregation and overt racism, it was common practice to treat people differently according to the color of their skin. Today, even though it has been turned down somewhat, racism still exists. In a small town in Arizona, a school mural depicting a black child in the forefront drew a vocal protest from a local municipal official, although he was later recalled by his constituents.

- Age: Agism (also referred to as Ageism) exists all over the workplace. Just because a person is elderly doesn’t mean he or she is no longer competent. In fact, older workers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them. Still, many gray haired employees and job applicants are treated as second class citizens. Some older individuals that are passed over for promotions or job opportunities because of their ageism are motivated to try plastic surgery in order to escape these stereotypes.

- National origin: Individuals are discriminated against not only for where they were born but also for where their family members were born. After the 9/11 catastrophe, many perfectly innocent citizens who had DNA from the Middle East were terrorized themselves, simply because of their dark skin and apparel. Currently, laws in states such as Arizona allow police officers to question brown skinned individuals about their citizenship for no other reason than their appearance.

- Sexual preference: Gays are constantly discriminated against. They can’t get married in many states and so are banned from having medical insurance through their partners’ employer. They are often shunned and not allowed certain rights, jobs or opportunities simply because of their sexual preferences.

- Physical or mental condition: If a person has a mental or physical handicap, it’s against the law for an employer to discriminate against them as long as they can perform the job duties. It’s even illegal for a company to ask certain questions linked to private mental or physical conditions.

When a person has been discriminated against or harassed due to their religion, race, age, national origin, sexual preference, physical or mental condition, it can be a power zapping experience. It is also against the law. If a person has experienced ill treatment or unfair practices because of any of these items, he or she should contact a civil rights lawyer for protection and guidance.