THE LAST WORD 07-30-15

THE LAST WORD A bill just cleared France’s senate that would make it illegal to insult the poor or discriminate against them in employment and housing matters. Breaking the proposed law could land a perpetrator in jail for up to three years, and could lead to a fine of $45,000 euros (nearly $50,000). The U.S. could look to this legislation as an example of what basic protections look like for this oft-discriminated against group. Mic’s Zeeshan Aleem notes that while people living in poverty in the U.S. have some legal protections, like the right to free counsel, they face abundant discrimination. As we ramp up efforts to protect marginalized groups on the basis of gender, race and sexual orientation, we should make sure we aren’t leaving socioeconomic class out of the conversation.