Equal But Not Really Equal

The Constitution of the United States states that all men (male and female) are created equal. These noble words are taught to the young, and held close to the hearts of each adult citizen. Entrenching them in the Constitution does not make them a reality in everyday life.

Equality in America is must be understood within a narrow context as clearly not all are created or are equal in America. Equality means that there are no first or second citizens, each citizen of age having a right to vote, having the opportunity to express their opinion to the community and elected representatives, to run for public office, to travel freely, to live anywhere within their means and as zoning allows, to free public elementary and secondary education, to have their day in court if grieved or if charged with a crime and to walk the streets without fear of arrest.

While each has the right to vote, and all votes within the ballet box are equal, not all votes are equal outside the ballet box. While all are free to express their opinions, not all voices have equal weight. Due to wealth and financial support some individuals and groups have far greater access to their representatives and to influencing the outcome of legislation. While all have available to free public education, not all schools are equally funded or equipped with equally skilled teachers. This inequity means that students from a community and family of less means are far less likely to succeed than their neighbors in other communities. Such students do not lack the capacity of their neighbors that live in wealthier communities, what they lack is equal opportunity.

While justice may be blind, access and the veracity of an argument are influenced more by the dollars of the one before the court than we wish to admit. Those with true and legitimate grievances who have the means have a far greater capacity to pursue their claim than those who are the working poor. Courts history is replete with cases victorious and questionable cases being successfully pressed by those with means over those who lack.

While in theory all have access to medical care, it is all theoretical to the 45 million Americans who lack insurance. This result is that 24,000 uninsured people under the age of 65 yrs. die a year from treatable and recoverable illnesses a year that those with adequate health care coverage. While that 9-11 attacks are considered a national tragedy the deaths annual of a number eleven times than those who died at the Pentagon and Twin Towers is not considered a tragedy. Eight years ago we saw the vivid images but the 24,000 dying one at a time hidden from sight does not move the heart of nation. Instead of being enraged it into moral action far too many of us shrug our shoulders and dismiss their deaths as being of little consequence…that is until one of our loves ones or a very close friend becomes part of that statistic one year, and will happen for at least half the families at least once in 50 years, then we will howl but our neighbors will shrug their shoulders and remain unmoved.

In America, all are equal, but some are just more equal than others…that’s just the reality of life. While all should not be equal, the nation does not view health care as something to which all should have equal access which will continue to remain in contrast to other developed industrializated nations that have said yes, all should be equal when ill or need of a health care professional. In America it is not a moral imperative as it is within its world peers.