ARE WE REALLY AS EQUAL AS WE SHOULD BE?
All humans are born equal. It doesn't matter who your parents are, what race you are, what gender you are, or what afflictions you are born with. In fact, we are all born with some affliction or another. Some are just more obvious and visible than others. No one is perfect--perfectly imperfect, maybe; but no one is ever one hundred percent perfect. We are all born needing food, water, love, support, and stimulation.
Even though we like to think we all have certain human rights, we really dont. Human rights are a set of rules--guidelines, so to speak--which were made up in order to protect people from each other. Ever notice that human rights seem to differ from region to region? Thats right. The set of rules vary by area. Such human rights as freedom of speech, right to abortion, right to choose religion, sexual orientation practices, are different all over the world.
In reality, eqaulity is not automatically given. It is earned. Must you not earn respect in order to deserve it? Rights are merely resepct issues. If you do not treat me with respect, then you will lose any respect I may carry for you. Same thing. If I do not have to right to be resepcted by you, then you do not have the right to be respected by me.
We are treated differently when we do not have as much money as others, when we are not as attractive as others, when we have physical capabilities that stand out, when we are of a certain culture, when we have a higher IQ than others, when we have different viewpoints on life, and so forth.
Abum on the streets may be treated differently than the President of the United States, so does that mean that his life is of any lesser value? I dont care who you are, you are no better than I am; therefore, I am no better than you. So why do we give higher powered figures in the world more respect than someone with little or no authority? What makes them so much more deserving of our repect?
These things sicken me! Everyone deserves to be loved and treated with respect! Everyone deserves to receive the same type of medical attention, to eat the same quality of food, to be taught the same quality of education, and to have thier views and opinions be heard. Everyone deserves to believe thier own beliefs and deserves to spend thier life with whomever holds thier heart. Is everyone not special in some way or another?
A bum, a child, a teacher, a police officer, a criminal, an out-of-work single parent, a senator, an elderly person, a doctor, a mentally challenged person, a preacher, a high school dropout, a hooker, a nurse, a princess...do they not ALL deserve to be treated with fairness? According to society, its obvious they dont.
So, where is the equality?
Dawn-Marie Graham
