What equality is? The belief that no matter what, weather it be size, skin color, beliefs, love interest, or any other trivial thing, two people's lives are still worth the same.
I think article 1 is the most important. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. — Article 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Equality is when a can of mixed nuts isn't entirely peanuts... Okay, But in all seriousness equality means to me that someone doesn't have to be worried about being judged negativity in public for reasons that maybe out of their control. Equality is the freedom not to be scrutinized over your choices and to be held to the same degree as everyone else.
back! er... my take on this? Equality is relative to a group. A nation will probably make all its citizens equals, a university all its teachers equals, a culture will define groups of equals too, etc. But a nation will probably not make its own citizens equals to foreigners, favouring the former against the later. A patriarchy will also place male above female as a principle, for example, even if in its system males are considered equals to males and females to females. Thriving, and greed, are the leading principles in this division. To be enforced, equality is a principle that needs to be defined in a binding law (included in a constitutional act for example) or taught as a primary morale value. It defines the way a group acts toward its members (a blindfolded justice), or an individual toward others, and says that any individual considered equal shall be treated in the same manner, given the same situation. So, equality is a value, a presupposition that helps when making choices. Not everybody will want to follow equality, and a lot of people will not want it outside of their group, seeing it as a threat to it (be it a nation, a community, an ethnicity, a church, ...) as it would mean no bias or favor towards themselves, thus impairing their own thriving. If you really want equality, you will have to fight for it, to teach it, to show its worth. And the bigger the group to be considered equals, the more people you will have to convince to drop their ways, their old group, to join yours. And the revolutionaries, the suffragettes, MLK, etc. did show it was feasible. But not without facing duress.
I am going to post a quote that during this time in America where the question of seeing all as equals seems to be more at the forefront than at any other time during my life. I hope that our better selves will win this conflict and usher us into a new age of respecting the worth of all human beings. "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"Thomas Jefferson
Equality means that we are all the same and we should be treated as such. We may look, or act differently but we are all human.
Equality - What does this mean to me? This has been a difficult topic to condense into a simple positive message for me as there are many different perspectives to take into account. I understand the jest of what is sought, and what many hope this accomplishes, but I can't help to over-analyze something such as this, as it is just who I am. Let's breakdown this topic... In the dictionary we find : 1. the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability: promoting equality of opportunity in the workplace. 2. uniform character, as of motion or surface. 3. Mathematics. a statement that two quantities are equal; equation. In the Thesaurus we find : Synonyms 1. equivalency, parity, correspondence, sameness; justice, fairness, impartiality. I really like the impartiality one as I feel it is the closest to what the term Equality is meant to portray. As some of the others have posted, your upbringing can directly impact your view on such matters, and I am sure the same is true for me. I am a white guy from Tennessee transplanted and abiding most of my life in Mississippi. I grew up hearing my father's take on this matter, and I am sure it has created some bias on this topic. I specifically remember the story of how he had to train some black men to do his job so they could go on to become his boss, as it was mandated by equality / desegregation. On a similar note, I have had personal experience with this term in action in the workplace where any other ethnicity or gender would be offered additional compensation to move and take a position at another location, whereas the same was not afforded to me. So I question, if every other ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation gets to take a handicap in order to make it supposedly fair, is this not just reverse discrimination? Does this really achieve equality? I attended a small growing Christian Academy during high school, and remember when we had our first black guy join the school. It was not that big of a deal to the other 30 or so members of the high school, but I do remember one instance that is relevant. In study hall one day, the principal came in and got onto the teacher about the grade she had given our black classmate, and how this would adversely impact his ability to play ball. I don't recall him ever having to sit out a game, but I do remember him having a difficult time when he got to college. In this instance, I feel in the effort to make things equal, they dimished his opportunity to grow. Equality - White Men Can't Jump = 8' Basketball Goals for all Regardless of these odd man out perspectives, I feel that to truly embrace equality we must look to the Creator for assistance. Yea, I know some of you may disagree, but many have stated that "We have all been Created Equal", and others have used the Golden Rule to summarize their view. One point I really want to make is based on several scriptures: Matthew 22:36-40 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And also found in Ephesians 6:12 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So with these two thoughts in mind I believe one must understand that Ephesians is not only talking about wrestling with flesh and blood of others, but in actuality the wrestling of flesh and blood in oneself. If this is the case, then the Golden Rule takes on a whole new meaning, as "Doing unto others as you would have done unto yourself" is in a whole new context if we consider that the real dilemna with society may hinge on the fact that Loving others as you Love yourself actually goes awry sometimes. For people to really Love one another, they first need to understand what Love is... 1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. This is why the first commandment is so important... 1 Corithians 13:4-7 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I say this because there have been times where what I would accept done unto myself is not exactly what others would want done unto them. People can lose perspective of their self worth, which adversely impacts the ability to Love others as they love themselves, because maybe they don't love himself or herself. This is where a relationship with the Creator makes all the difference in the world. To truly understand that we are all unique and created for a purpose that God Loves us just as we are, and He loves others just as they are makes it so much easier to share that Love which is within with others. I believe this is the true path that will enable all of us to be Free at Last.
My view of equality is quite simple - live and let live. We are all part of this organism known as earth. We all play a part in sustaining that organism. That extends to everything on the earth, not just to humans and their pettiness. Until we understand that all life on earth is equal, we will not understand equality between each other.
Just an idea, no hate or flames here, your idea was nice but the problem here is that earth isn't an organism, maybe you meant organization? That would make a bit more sense.
Actually the earth is an organism. We are discovering more and more the patterns of 'life' on the earth correspond to those of a massive living thing. The weather cycles, the water cycles, the minerals that come up from the crust to sustain the inhabitants, the inhabitants that themselves are symbiotic to each other....all point to the earth being a massive, complex organism that follows the same rules of other smaller organisms. One part of the organism can not overpower the others or the organism begins to die off due to imbalance. Humans have somehow gotten into their head that because they're top of the food chain their wills and desires are all that matter. They've forgotten the part of leading where we're supposed to protect and serve those weaker than ourselves. And in the last few decades we have started to realize just why that is important. Systems all over the earth are breaking down, because one part of the organism has overpowered many other parts. Again... until we realize that ALL LIFE ON EARTH is equally important...we will never truly be equal with each other.
New York Times...almost 30 years ago put out this article...http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/29/s...arth-as-a-living-organism.html?pagewanted=all. Start your search there, and you'll discover how many scientists around the world are beginning to agree with the theory. Even to the point of inter-disciplinary studies that delve further into the study of the earth as an organism. It's a long journey...but one well worth taking. And our existence of a species may well depend on what we discover along the way.
Equality to me doesnt just mean race or gender(which are very important), but also to the people with disabilities. When I was born, my parents were told that I had been born with the disability called goldenhar syndrome(the right side of my face was underdeveloped due to two my my bones cutting off a nerve that feeds the face nutrients to grow).Ive had 12 surgeries alone on my face throughout my childhood spanning 1-2 every year until I was 15. Throughout all of middle school I was bullied for it,kids would make fun of me or keep their stuff far away from me because they didnt want to be apparently "affected by it and lose their face". I hope one day that children wont have to deal with that because I still feel as if people are making fun of me, just inside of their own head. People deserve to be treated for how they are personality wise rather than their own physical appearance but after I realized that I have learned to love myself more. My issue is not as huge as someone elses disability but no matter the size everyone still deserves to be treated the same.
Equality is having a level “playing field” for everybody. For those who mastered a concept, make it harder. For those who have trouble or differences, make it easier. I’m talking very loose, and I could go into detail, but I don’t need to.
I'd like to clarify my response so that this thread doesn't go off topic due to my previous posts. Equality is not something that can be regulated, legislated, or mandated by government, employers, or even society. The reason is that all of those groups represent groups of people, not individuals. Equality can only come from an individual. An individual that understands that they exist in relation to everything around them. Until an individual can accept the right to live of everything they come into contact with, they will not understand or accept equality. Their actions, beliefs, thoughts, purchases, and decisions will be based on their view of themselves in relation to everything around them. Equality has to be universal, to everything that we relate to...not just to other groups of humans, regardless of how you group them.
