EQUITY OR FREEDOM?
WHAT ABOUT EQUITY?
SHOULD WE ENGINEER FAIRNESS?
Merriam-Webster’s “simple definition” of equity is “fairness or justice in the way people are treated.” But then, what exactly is fairness? How do we define justice? If these concepts are not absolutes, but shaped by each individual’s worldviews and experiences, then the definition may be a perpetually moving target.
Kurt Vonnegut, in his short story “Harrison Bergeron,” explores the logical end to equity — the use of state power to effect ostensibly equal outcomes in society. He depicts a world where everyone must be handicapped to the lowest common denominator so that no man, woman, or child has a competitive advantage over another. Whenever I see the “Office of Equity and Inclusion” on a college campus, or BLM signs demanding equity, this story leaps unbidden to the mind.
Moving our focus from equality to equity won’t defeat racism. It’s another kind of racism. Rather than teach our children that they are victims of a racist system in which they can only be made whole by making people who have done nothing wrong pay for the past sins of others, we should teach them that they are in charge of their own dignity and their own future.
Images below are found online by searching "equity images"
Some images may be disturbing. Why?
Creating identical outcomes for people requires taking something away from certain people and giving it to others.
When governments control people and force the redistribution of assets, violence often results.
Why would we think stealing from one group to give to another would be successful?
Images above are found online by searching "equity images"
Today, so many Americans are abandoning freedom and embracing socialism. They have no idea what socialism is about. When the government controls everything and makes all the decisions big and small and decide how much water and food you can have, what you can learn in school, where you can live, what job you can have, and how you should think. There are no choices. There is no freedom.
State action to provide egalitarian social programs requires extensive redistribution of wealth and excessive government regulation of the society and economy. This, in turn, would minimize the principles of individual liberty.
What are people saying?
Equity is a stupid idea. It implies that dwarves ought to be NBA players and that idiots should be PhDs. Humans are different thus equity is inhumane.” @Hamalisk
My question is where do the resources ‘they need’ come from. And let's say a one-time grand theft happens and everyone is equal. How long till inequity arises again? And again? This ignores the universal law that we reap what we sow.” @ThomasB07801772
Remember that when your doctor got their degree because they didn’t have to meet the same standard as a “privileged” medical student. @DonaldG81800179
If you've ever enjoyed watching the Olympics or a pro football game you can see how vile this message is. We are not all the same. Some are willing to work tirelessly for success, some are not. We never expect the same outcomes. We reward skill and diligence, we don't coddle. @TallManShort
A very nice and old idea in theory, but absolutely impossible in practice, because everyone is different, they will not reach the same peak, by the way that idea has a name: COMMUNISM. And it has destroyed my country. Cheers. @lobolobonegro5
They’re already doing that with gifted students. A district in CA stopped offering algebra to 8th graders because the race and nationality of the majority of the students able to take the class was all wrong. Gotta keep all students achieving at the same low levels. @punny_girl11
SOCIALISM: Promise the government will provide for people. Give hand outs, destroy incentive, regulate business. Demonize the economic freedom (capitalism) as greed. People become dependent on government. Power held over the people by the leftist political elite. COMMUNISM. @PeterWallaceAU
That’s great. I look forward to you and @joebiden giving up your shares and distributing them equitably immediately. @douglaskarr
"Equitable treatment means we all end up in the same place." So does this mean we all end up where Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett are, or does it mean Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett end up where we are? Peter Jacobsen
Reminds me of the "no child left behind" policy. What it should have been called is "no child gets ahead.” If everyone ends up in the same place than we can only go as far as the laziest, most selfish, and egocentric person is willing to go. Josiah Hirsh
There are a thousand reasons why people don’t turn out the same. If we can’t get equality from people born to the same parents and raised under the same roof, how in the world are we going to get it among people who have had such different histories and cultures around the world?
In the name of equity, California has decided to hold back kids who are gifted at math. This is not equitable, this is extremely unfair to everyone. Yet math is not something that all kids are equally capable of learning and enjoying. The students who like math (usually a minority) should have the opportunity to move on as rapidly as possible. But the Department of Education has said, “We reject ideas of natural gifts and talents."
Equality was considered a good thing until recently, but now believing in equality proves you’re a racist. Equality means treating people the same; equity, by contrast, means treating some people better than others depending on the level of oppression they can claim for themselves or their ancestors or unrelated people with the same skin color or chromosomal makeup.
