Weekly Question! July 28, 2013

Teens&Equality!

Equality What is it?

For this article I wanted to ask a question, what is equality? We hear this word a lot lately. In the newspapers, on tv, on the radio. It's the hottest topic with the fiery debates and strong opinions and lots of anger or protest.

So what is this thing we are fight for and fighting about?

First I asked a dictionary, and Dictionary.com gave me this definition;

Equality; 1. The state or quality of being equal correspondence, in quantity, degree, value, rank or ability. 

2. Uniform character as of motion or surface. 

3. A statement that two quantities are equal equation.

So equality has a lot of meaning, both verbally and emotionally. This answer wasn't enough for me though and now I had more questions, what does it mean to me? To others? An do we have it in this world?

So I asked again. This time in Wattpads very own cafe, what is equality? And here is what people said:

"Equality is an interesting one. We all know that racism, sexism and homophobia are bad things, but does that necessarily make equality a good thing? 

It's easy to picture equality as being the smart and logical ideal, where no-one is judged on their gender, race or sexual preference (or any other difference, for that matter), but the results of this aren't always positive. Because, like it or not, we are all different. 

Just going to throw an example out there, and it's not the only one. I'm sure everyone remembers the Costa Concordia sinking last year. Accounts from those trying to evacuate all reported one thing in common; a mad dash for the lifeboats, men pushing women aside, everyone frantic to get a place. Why not? Everyone's equal, right? 

The point is, 'women and children first', the unwritten law of the sea, went out the window because of a society where the idea equality is ever growing. The truth is, though, that the average adult male will last longer swimming in open water than the average child or female adult. It's simple biology. It was true in 1912 when the Titanic went down, and it's true today. Yet because we put so much focus on ironing out the differences between the genders, females and children were given no priority in the life-crafts. Had the ship sunk in open waters, rather than shallows, there would have been a much higher casualty rate, and it would have been higher still if women and children had been left on board to jump into the sea in place of men. A much greater tragedy could have easily occurred on account of the fact that equality ruled over logic. 

Basically, my point is that discrimination is bad. Everyone knows that. But ignoring the fact that we are, as people, different, and have different characteristics, can be just as much of a problem. 

I hope I've made my point clearly there. Just to clarify, I don't support sexism in the slightest. I just feel that the question of equality isn't as black and white as it may seem ;-)" 

-Greg147

"Equality means being able to be you without being judged, shunned, harmed, or bullied. It means that people should be able to get married to whomever they want. It means that everybody should have the same rights, no special treatment. Their is equality in the world, but not a lot. Equality is found in some states, cities, towns, peoples households, or even sometimes peoples hearts. Equality has a meaning, but to everyone it is different. It depends on how you were raised, who you hang out with, where you grew up, and so much more. It is so hard for everybody to be treated equal when things such as 'being gay is a sin or the color of your skin is evil' is being passed down in so many generations. Equality is out there and it is slowly coming, but at least its coming."