Everybody today, especially the champions of civil liberties stand on their soapbaxes and hail the almighty goal of equality for all. Equality for women, for racial minorities, gays, short people, fat people, and so on, and so forth...
I say bugger to equality. What we need instead is fairness. Some folks (I'm thinking lexographers mostly) would argue that these two words are completely synonomous. That may be true in the dictionary, but every word has its connotative meanings that usually have a greater impact to the culture. This is why we can't use the word "crusade" in a speech without conjuring the ire of a religion critic.
All equality cares about is the bottom line. As long as the final outcome is the same, it really doesn't matter by which process takes places. The ends justify the means. Isn't this a rather Machiavellian approach for society? Besides, true equality is a mathematical concept that can never truly be achieved. Don't believe me? Get two hungry kids and cut a PBJ in half and let them choose who gets to eat which half.
What we need is fairness. Fairness takes into consideration the aspects of an individual in order to establish the best way to achieve maximum potential success. Which is the better scenario: A woman being paid the same rate as a man because it is mandated that it be so by society, or a woman being paid the same rate as a man because both demonstrate the same degree of work ethic, get things done on time in top-notch quality, and are determined to let nothing stand in the way of their productivity? The first one is equal, the second one is fair. Get it?
Equality is a blanket term that is the stuff of lame Miss America speech bullshit. It makes people feel good to hear, but it is really just a big jerk off. Fairness is subjective and relative. If you see your situation as fair, than you have no need to complain.
Life isn't fair, but neither is equality.
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