The Perception of Equality

Living in these times, the question always surfaces as to why many of us have a very hard time seeking and finding equal treatment or equal justice.  Some rationalize that it is all about money and others say that it is because we refuse to fight for it as hard as those who came before.  It may be a little bit of both but one main ingredient that exist but seldom verbalized is the perception of equality and how it affects all things that we come in contact with.

First let us describe what we are talking about.  The perception of equality is a trait but not one which is genetic.  It is a trait that we all can possess because it is what I call a teachable trait.  Basically the perception of equality is believing that the world and all that’s in it is equal.  If you perceive that all is equal, you do not feel the need to get involved or see what all the fuss is about.  If you see the glass as half-full or a partially equal society, then you lean more toward fixing those inequalities and reinforcing those that are equal.  If you are one who sees inequality everywhere you look then you are one who is always armed and firing off randomly at anything that moves.  It’s up to you to decide which one.

The perception of equality begins when you are convinced or truly believe through your experience, that all is at peace with the world.  Some may call you niave or stupid but you are neither.  You are the sum total of all your experiences and your reactions to them so events which has shaped the life of another may not be your experience.  This makes it okay to not fully understand a person’s situation or reasoning behind why they feel as they do but it does not make it okay not to try.  Many times we can truly connect with a complete stranger just by listening to their journey and using it to compare to ours.  You can rest assured that somewhere in your review of your journey compared to the journey of a stranger, your paths have crossed and you can relate more than you ever thought.

In the beginning of this nation, there were no perceptions of equality.  Proof is in our history escaping from England where there were Lords and Dukes, Kings and Queens.  Where it was okay to make a slave out of someone who did not own property or had not been born to a particular family.  Where divisions were celebrated and the expectation of those who did not measure up was the same expectation that those who fit into that category lived by as well.  Those who escaped left for one reason which was to worship as they pleased but they brought with them the same kind of mindset, behavior and belief that had been cultured back home.  We see this in the way the American Indians were treated.  How they were looked down upon and called “savages” instead of brother.  Where their way of life was seen as primitive and far beneath the dignity of the invaders.  This thought pattern continued throughout our history from slavery through women suffrage and even shown in events of today.  Prime examples are our justice system and the laws which support them, the undermining of women by making laws which control what choices they make with their own bodies and who can vote or not.

When you have this affliction, you display this behavior of the glass half full.  Inequality does not exist to you unless it affects you directly so you seem to not understand or feel compassion for those who see it.  You tend to ignore or dismiss those and cling to your belief that all is right with the world.  Depending on the individual and sometimes their upbringing, this belief is so strong that you feel it necessary to defend it at all costs even if it means taking the life of another person.  The only thing sacred to you is your belief and nothing else, even your own family members may suffer because of it.  Primary proof of this is the unwillingness to accept a gay family member because you believe that it is a violation and it may reflect on you.  You refuse to acknowledge them and act to help pass laws denying them the same rights you enjoy and strongly defend.

I say that the perception of equality trait is teachable because if you are willing to listen, you will learn why another might see injustice and if you are able to compare, you will then begin to see it for yourself. It’s teachable because none of us are so engrained in ourselves that we are not beyond the capacity to learn.  We can identify with anyone provided we have the will to do so.  The choice and the decision is strictly an individual one so blaming your hesitation or avoidance on others is false and will not stand up to the test of time.  Learning to improve and increase your ability to perceive equality   only where it actually exist is a lesson many of us will continue to study for the rest of our lives and for the rest, some will never accept that their perception of equality is blunted by the truth which is their equality is actually inequality.