Why does race make one person’s life more important than another? The missing person’s case of a white woman named Gabby Petito has been all over the news and social media, as of recently. People everywhere became emotionally invested in finding Petito. When the news spread that her deceased body had been found, the nation grieved.

Other Missing People

  In the year 2020, according to the Statista Research Department, 202,889 people of color went missing. Chances are you have barely heard of them, if at all. 

  For example, the missing person’s case of Arizona Geologist Daniel Robinson, was receiving little to no coverage. It was not until the craze from Petito’s case, that people started questioning why. The answer is simple. Robinson is a young black man, while Petito is a young white woman. 

  Robinson was last seen near a job site in the Arizona desert on the morning of June 23. A month later his car was found with his clothes, phone, keys, and wallet found inside. Still no sign of Robinson though. 

  “You wish you lived in a world where everything was equal, but it’s really not equal,” Robinson’s father, David Robinson, told CNN. He wishes his son’s case will receive the same attention as Petito, and maybe then he will be found. 

  Nine months ago, a Filipino mother of three, Maya Millete, went missing from her Chula Vista home. Her husband has been named a person of interest. Similar to Robinson, Millete’s story is not getting the attention it deserves. “It just brought back the pain. We just wish we had the same urgency as Gabby,” Maricris Drouaillet, Millete’s sister, told ABC7. Drouaillet and her family are now forced to ask the question, why is Petito’s life more worthy of society’s interest than Millete’s life? 

My Opinion

  In no way am I trying to belittle the importance of Petito’s life. However, I am demanding equal coverage. Every missing person’s case should be heard, regardless of their ethnicity. Similar to the rest of America, Petito too tugged at my heart strings. The difference is, Petito’s story makes me sad. Robinson and Millete’s story makes me angry. 

  For too long has the value of one’s life been determined by the color of their skin. An individual’s skin tone symbolizes their culture and beliefs. This should be celebrated, not looked down upon. Will society ever be able to accept our differences, or are we doomed to an eternal life of discrimination?