L&T Publisher Earl Watt

 

Kamala Harris, and many on the extreme left, love to manipulate the language to advance socialist policies without them sounding so socialist.

That happened recently when Harris tried to explain the difference between equality and equity.

Strangely enough, in her definition, they both end up with all people in the same place.

Equality has nothing to do with outcomes and everything to do with beginnings.

The Declaration of Independence gives us the American definition of equality when it states, “We find these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”

We are “created” equal, meaning that we all have the same fundamental rights endowed upon us at birth.

That has nothing to do with what material wealth, means or talent.

Clearly some are born with abilities I will never have, form playing in professional sports to being able to create a symphonic masterpiece, to painting the most beautiful pieces of art.

In a court of law, however, those talents do not give anyone a higher footing from all of humanity who was created equal.

The concept of equality extends to voting rights. My vote is no more valuable and than your vote.

We are equal citizens, and that is how we define equality.

Equity, on the other hand, has to do with outcomes and that no one can finish ahead of someone else.

Equity means if someone has a head start because their family had past success and passed it on, then everyone else should be given the same advantage so all will end up in the same place.

Equity is most commonly defined by the image of three people watching a baseball game over a fence. They are all of varying height, so equity would give each a prop to help them see over the fence from the same height. No one gets an elevated view form someone else.

Another way to view the differences between the two phrases is equality has to do with opportunity and equity has to do with outcomes.

But here’s how Harris explains the two: “So there’s a big difference between equality and equity. Equality suggests, ‘oh everyone should get the same amount.’ The problem with that, not everybody’s starting out from the same place. So if we’re all getting the same amount, but you started out back there and I started out over here, we could get the same amount, but you’re still going to be that far back behind me. It’s about giving people the resources and the support they need, so that everyone can be on equal footing, and then compete on equal footing. Equitable treatment means we all end up in the same place. So there’s a big difference between equality and equity. Equality suggests, “oh everyone should get the same amount.” The problem with that, not everybody’s starting out from the same place. So if we’re all getting the same amount, but you started out back there and I started out over here, we could get the same amount, but you’re still going to be that far back behind me. It’s about giving people the resources and the support they need, so that everyone can be on equal footing, and then compete on equal footing. Equitable treatment means we all end up in the same place.

No, Kamala, equality has nothing to do with what your are “given” from the government. Equality is a state in society that says no one is born noble and another common, that anyone can accomplish greatness no matter where they come from or what color or sex they are.

This idea that equality is dependent on where we start completely puts a person’s worth on what they accumulate rather than the value of their soul. It misses the concept that person may not have much but can be rich beyond understanding if they are living their purpose, if they are pursuing their happiness.

For all of their disdain for the wealthy, the extreme left puts a lot of weight on a person’s bank account rather than what they have stored up in heaven.

And as soon as they seek to make sure everyone is “given” resources and support to establish equality, they fall right back in to where that kind of thinking always lands — equity. We all end up in the same place.

The fact is we don’t not should we.

We are equal, yes, but equity means we all end up in the same place, and history has taught where that place is — at the bottom.

When some are “given” that means something must be “taken” from someone else. It’s this false idea that to get a bigger piece of the pie means someone else has to give up their pie.

There isn’t one pie. We on the plains understand that every year a new crop is harvested. Wealth is created and renewed, not shifted from one to the other.

We grow the pie when we innovate, when we contribute, when we push ourselves to do what we never thought possible.

Some would have you believe that we fight for resources in a closed system, and anyone who has amassed wealth keeps it from others.

Not so.

Just 100 years ago people did not have indoor air conditioning, television sets, computers, cell phones, the Internet, pellet grills, nuclear medicine, MRIs, and countless other inventions we now use every day.

All of these have been created and added to the human experience. We have included  them when 100 years ago people were just getting by.

That’s the beauty of capitalism. That’s the beauty of equality but not equity, equal opportunity but outcomes based on performance and achievement.

We may not all end in the same place but we all benefit as we work to improve and enhance the quality of life for everyone.

If a candidate doesn’t understand that, they are disqualified for serving in office.

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