“I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions” (Barack Obama). This quote says that America has some inequality issues. It needs to be argued that no matter what a person’s gender is, they should be paid equally. The issue is women are getting paid less than men, when both persons are in the same position.

The inequality of pay can cause a severe economic impact. According to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, in 2009 the salary of some women is 77% of their male counterpart (National Committee on Pay Equality). With these numbers in a 40-year period a women can lose 443,360 due to the wage gap (National Committee on Pay Equality). Therefore, in 2008, President Obama passed a law called Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This act let the person have 180 days to sue if they have been a victim of pay discrimination (Abdullah and Brennan). This sent a message to say that pay discrimination is wrong, for not just gender, but for race also. Now in 2012 some women only get paid 93% of what men make (National Committee on Pay Equality). The numbers are getting better, but why have women’s pay 100 percent of men’s pay?

What if someone was working with another person, in the same department, and they got paid different amounts? It is not fair for anyone to get paid less for what they have worked for. The United Sates’ pledge ends with liberty and justice for all. This motto means that everybody should be treated equal and that everybody should have the same rights; with that said, this issue occurs a lot more than somebody might think. Pay discrimination happens more times in private businesses then public ones because their owners can regulate pay. Employees are protected by the EPA, Equal Pay Act, which makes it illegal to commit pay discrimination based on someone’s gender (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The American people have many rights that some take for granite. The American people have the right to speak out on this issue to get a resolution.

This is a widespread issue that can easily become a family issue. If a single mother has to support two children on her own. She could use all the money she could get, but pay discrimination could put her where she is trying to dig out of a bottomless hole. Nobody would want his or her wife or daughters to be cheated out of the money they have earned. Whose right is it to make more money than someone else, whose doing the same thing? This could be prevented if more people fight for the equality of pay.

Some women are being cheated out of money that their male counterpart would make. Let’s get this issue enough publicity, so that America can get it changed for the greater good.

Works cited page
1.
Swerdloff Digital Design. National Committee on Pay Equality. 1. National Committee on Pay Equality, September 29, 2012. Web. November 4, 2012.
2.
Claire Shipman, Susan Rucci, Imaeyen Ibanga, Nitya Venkataraman. Good Morning America. 1. ABC News, January 28, 2009. Web. November 4, 2012.
3.
Halimah Abdullah and Allison Brennan. CNN Politics. 1. CNN News, October 20, 2012. Web. November 4, 2012.
4.
Barack Obama. Brainy Quotes. 1. Bookrags Media Network, July 24, 2008. Web. November 19, 2012.
5.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Coverage of Business/Private Employers”. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 1. USA. Gov, November 11,2012. Web. November 19, 2012.