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Cancer and Environmental Racism
[Author’s Name]
Cancer and Environmental Racism
Cancer is a disease that involves abnormal growth of cells that spread to other parts of the body. Tumors are also a type of cancer, but they do not spread in the body. Cancer symptoms include abnormal bleeding, unstoppable cough, unexplained weight loss or a change in bowel movements and, etc. It's a deadly disease if not diagnosed late. However, if the disease is diagnosed at the early stages, then chances are that a person might survive and can be cancer-free. Cancer can arise in the human body due to multiple factors that can be both internal and external. Although excessive use of tobacco and alcohol, obesity, poor diet, or no physical activity are the reasons that cause cancer, environmental pollutants and exposures to ionizing radiation are the major factors that can make and individual more prone to cancer. It is undeniably true that industries and their production processes are the main cause of this deadly disease because the air is polluted by chemical reactions used for making the products. So when an individual breathes the polluted air, then he or she is at an increased of developing lung cancer. Similarly, many industries do not have proper waste management systems due to which the waste material is disposed of in the rivers or streams. Thus, polluting drinking water can, in turn, cause multiple diseases, including cancer.
Environmental factors that can result in cancer can be of various types. They can be large chemical plants, paint factories, steel mills which releases smoke, and several chemical gases that are filled with all kinds of containments that emit tons of poison in the air each year. They pollute our lakes by dispensing waste into them. These chemical plants are located near communities, and the government has permitted them to build their plants in middle of several communities, especially rural areas, because poor, middle-class people live there who do not have enough power to fight back and protest against the authorities.
African-Americans are most exploited in this era; they get the racism from white people who judge them based on their race and color. Owing to the social inequalities, minorities, and especially many Black people are forced to live in areas that are below the normal living standards and are even considered less privileged than white people. Black people have been the victims of environmental pollution for a very long time. Many Black people die because of getting exposed to dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer.
In my view, authorities doing this to suppress the rights of minorities by not making appropriate policies, especially the poor African Americans, who are being a target of racism. They inhale the harmful chemicals disposed of in their area; the water they drink and use is also contaminated. Due to this reason, cancer is a common disease in their community, and their death rate is higher than in other communities. This not acceptable because we as humans have some responsibilities for society, and we must protect and help each other. We should protest against these racist officials, who grant permission to the industrialist to establish industrial plants near a residential area, harming the society, including both black and white people. I think it is necessary to spread awareness on the internet and television regarding environmental hazards and also against the leaders. Additionally, it is necessary to spread awareness regarding the diseases, and motivate people to go for monthly checkups, have classes arranged for kids to acknowledge them about such illness and how to protect themselves. Promote healthy food and hygiene so people could know what's beneficial for their health. Thus there are many ways to prevent this problem; we have to find the right solutions and work on them.
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