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Equality

I was raised in the USA where equality is widely taught to be, and therefore believed to be, one of the most important and sacred values. The xxxx (Declaration of Independnce?) of the United States says that "We hold these truths to be self-evident.... all men are created equal." See note on the word "created"

In America the concept of "equal opportunity" is also taught as a sacred belief.

What does the word equal really mean though? Does it mean sameness? Are all babies born with the same potential for learning math or music? Do all babies have the same innate emotional intelligence? I don't think they do.

I prefer to think of equality in this way: Equal opportunity for equal potential.

It does not make sense to me to give every child the same opportunity to use a piano, or worse yet to force each child to spend the same amount of time on one, if the children have vastly different interest in and potential for playing it.

Another question is whether people have equal needs. Do we all have the same need for water or food? Or do some of us need to drink more or eat more to be healthy? And what about our emotional needs?

I believe we are especially different when it comes to our emotional needs. Some of us need more freedom, some need more security for example.

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Created

Note the choice of the words "created equal" rather than "born equal."

This implies there was a "creator." Thomas Jefferson apparently believed in a "creator" if not specifically the mainstream god of the times and all the mainstream religious beliefs.

I believe that allowing these words into the new American .system of government was one of the most fundamental erros made by those called the founding fathers.

The idea of sepatation of church and state was well-intentioned but it did not go far enough to eliminate the cancerous effects of religion in a society and in the world.

 

 

 

 

Equality