Equality
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. ”
Hello Friends,
With the climate of our country, I wanted to talk about equality. I believe that equality is an umbrella, and under it are many other actions that are needed to achieve the equality many of us seek. I investigate the world and see indifference, anger, and division. I believe there is a lack of progress because many of us are fighting on opposite sides of the spectrum and are unwilling to move towards the middle ground of fairness, tolerance, and understanding through education.
Tolerance is the ability or willingness to tolerate something, particularly opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. I believe what needs to be expressed is tolerance before equality can affect. Tolerance is necessary when we say our opinions and hear others. I hear and read many stories of people’s front yard signs stolen or others being physically assaulted for expressing thoughts and beliefs. The United States is built on people expressing their views and not allowing others to dictate. I want to remind everyone that it is difficult to determine right and wrong when we all believe we are right. We all have a side we want to sit on and the right to think and feel what we want. We want to have validation for being heard, which can be done by having a conversation. When we choose to debate, we don’t get a chance to listen to the other person’s story and have a mindset that there must be a winner or a loser. Create a perspective of moving away from the competition of right or wrong and towards resolution and understanding. Remember that for one side to get ahead. It doesn’t mean that the other side must lose. Putting our energy towards a solution means we want to create a way to solve the conflict. Solving the conflict with resolution means hearing both sides and meeting in the middle to make a satisfactory way; then, fairness has a chance to bloom.
Fairness is impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination. We all have opinions and judgments. When they become unfair, we start to create mental bias or prejudice, leading to our actions and physical behaviors being unfair. There should be a responsibility to examine why we have these biases and stereotypes as an individual. I believe the first step starts with challenging ourselves and our perceptions of biases and prejudices; these viewpoints determine our justification for our actions. When we are younger many of these stereotypes, intolerances, or prejudices are presented to us. And it takes us to examine and decide if these stereotypes or biases are justified and if we will continue to believe them. If they are warranted, how can we as individuals make changes to create a better community of people for our children to raise their children in? And suppose these biases, stereotypes, or prejudices have no basis in truth.
In that case, we as individuals should learn to eliminate them from our thought process to not be projected onto others, even when joking. It makes me think of an experience I had with an acquaintance with a son who practiced skateboarding. I could tell he enjoyed learning this skill. However, this acquaintance would make remarks such as, “Stop skateboarding. It’s for white people!”. That statement alone shows that we have biases and stereotypes passed to our children. Our children may not even think about race and skateboarding being associated with each other, and I didn’t until that day. I hope this kid is somewhere skateboarding, becoming the next Tony Hawk of this generation.
I believe we should be open to education and understanding why people have reactions or the reasons behind their thought processes. Let go of the debate and embrace the conversation of exchanging new ideas and information. Our brains continue developing until 35 years old, so it is best to keep educating them and not allow them to stagnate. I believe gaining knowledge from other perspectives can give insight into other reasons for actions. When we have questions, we should be willing to ask them and have them answered. No one should feel punished or ridiculed for asking a question. Asking for clarification or understanding shows that the person is open and wants to gain new knowledge. A prime example of a time to share knowledge would be when people believe cultural appropriation occurs when others express themselves with another culture. People who say that the person’s ability is not up to date should take the initiative of understanding why they are embracing that culture and teaching the person the appropriate way of displaying the culture if needed. This act of curiosity builds a bridge of embracing each other’s cultures while understanding why these traditions have been around for many generations.
We cannot achieve equality without tolerance, fairness, and education. When people are not willing to educate themselves, there is nothing we can do about it. I cannot recall the source, but I heard a quote once that has always stuck with me “When you stop learning, you stop leading.” When there is a belief that a person knows everything, they miss out on the opportunity to learn something new. Embrace the moments when someone wants to teach you something, even if they are younger or look different than you. It could be a chance to walk in another person’s shoes. I want to remind everyone that there is evil in the world regardless of what we look like, where we come from, and what we value. If you have been wronged by a person, any person, and are suffering trauma, take your power back as an individual by getting the clarity you need to regain harmony within.
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Many blessings, and remember, you are a miracle!