This week, Reddit user u/iShitSevenColors posed the question, "What is something society deems acceptable but shouldn’t be?"
And there were so many excellent responses! Here are some of the top-voted answers:
1. "Working long hours and being expected to put work before everything."
"I once did a 16-hour night shift because one of my coworkers got sick. I came home with my chest pounding so hard, I thought I was having a heart attack. Could not fall asleep. I called the doctor, and she said to take a hot shower and try again. It worked. But that was a wake-up call. I said never again. To my boss, I am but a number."
2. "Money in politics."
"That is, taking a $174,000 salary job for six years and walking away a multimillionaire."
"While representing a state where the median FAMILY income is likely less than $70,000 a year."
3. "Overbred dogs."
"Some of those dogs live a life of torture just because some ass thought it would be cute to make them like that."
4. "Throw-away society. One-use plastic and paper everything. And plastic film or plastic shells that contain paper wrappers and boxes that hold our products. Or even worse, individually plastic-wrapped produce."
"I used to watch a woman at work throw away a Styrofoam cup every hour and a half. I suggested to the boss that we get rid of providing endless Styrofoam cups and get everyone some company mug swag. Actually went over fairly well. No more Styrofoam. Everyone got a desk mug and travel mug. I mean, how freaking lazy can a person be that they throw away four or five disposable cups a day instead of just rinsing a mug?"
5. "Unpaid internships."
"Unpaid internships exclude applicants who do not have the parental subsidy. It steers highly valuable internships that lead to career opportunities to wealthy students. If you need a summer job to get by or any job to pay rent — you’re not moving to New York or DC for an unpaid internship."
"All work needs to be paid a living wage."
6. "The giant-ass slits in bathroom stalls."
7. "Paying for medical insurance, only to be told where to go and who you can see for your medical care."
"Not only paying your monthly premium, but also paying 100% out of pocket until you hit a deductible before the insurance kicks in."
8. "Rich people getting away with crimes."
"You see 'fined for illegal parking.' A rich person sees 'more expensive parking space.'"
9. "Being forced to stand up during a job and not being allowed to sit down."
"As a cashier, I would stand for long periods of times with only a 15- or 30-minute break. I would do that 'cashier squat' to give some relief to my back and my feet. My managers would scold me for it, even though I always stood up when a customer was approaching. My feet would get so swollen by the end of my shifts, I cried. I already had custom inserts in my shoes. I decided for my own benefit to leave my job and get flat foot reconstruction surgery. Never again."
10. "Billionaires paying less taxes than I do."
11. "Clipping a dog's ears. It should be illegal."
"And debarking. That shit is even worse."
12. "In the US: moms going back to work a few days or weeks after giving birth. Wild. It’s crazy to think about — in the US, it’s illegal to take puppies from their moms before eight weeks. Dogs have better protections than women."
14. "US residents needing to figure out their own taxes and being penalized if it is done incorrectly. Just send me a bill."
"This is what baffles me the most. Why can't the government just set up a single free tax-filing service for everyone? Why must such a simple service be outsourced?"
16. "Asking women when they plan on having kids. At best, you're creepily asking them about their sex life. At worst, they may be struggling with infertility or loss and you're twisting the dagger. It's none of your business."
"On the same note, parents pushing their kids to have kids. We do NOT owe you grandchildren, especially when our generation is so financially fucked, we can't afford to raise them!"
17. "Jobs where you get your schedule week by week, never knowing when you’re going to be working. I don’t understand why you can’t get your schedule a month at a time."
"My schedule gets posted the Saturday before the week it covers. So I have pretty much two to three days' notice for when I'll be working."
"My wife can’t even make doctor appointments or book car maintenance. It’s maddening."
18. And finally, "Beauty pageants for children. That shit is wrong."
"Very, very, very wrong. How the absolute fuck has it not been banned yet?"
What's something that's accepted in society that you think shouldn't be? Sound off in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.