Editorial: Equality
By Scott Walker, M.D.
Dear Neighbors,
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,…”
But do we still? Are we a nation that holds our neighbor in the same regard as our pastor or policeman? Are we willing to assume that we are all equal in this life? Or are people holding onto the idea that, “I can act like others are my equals when I have to, but deep down I know my life is more important, my thinking is better and my opinions are more important than other people?”
Beliefs make a difference. Harboring the belief of inequality allows us to close our eyes to policies that promote inequality.
If we are truly believing that we are all equal, born into this world naked and ignorant, then we must believe that we all deserve an equal say in how we’re going to get along: on the sidewalk, in our towns and states, and in our nation.
If we’re all equal, then we all deserve one vote. Our Constitution clarifies this exact point: one person, one vote. (I’m going to forgive our forebearers’ use of “men” when they meant “people.” They just didn’t know any better.)
The alternative is ugly. We can harbor those secret inequalities — “biases” we call them — and make our way through life trying to grab our share, plus some of what that “other,” unequal group is claiming.
But here’s an open secret: if too many in a group hold onto the principle of inequality, then the inequality that will come to dominate all others is wealth. People with money will claim (or buy) a larger say in the rules regarding money. (See for example, Citizens United.)
People of wealth will use other divisions, such as race, gender, ethnicity and religion to fracture the body politic, so that wealth can dominate policy. This is true in our major elections; since “money is speech,” the rich can speak very loudly, and no one can purchase the media time that’s needed to win a large campaign without the backing of wealthy donors.
One of the things that the wealthy say loudly is that policies that benefit the wealthy will benefit America, like “Trickle Down” economics.
Every objective research paper on the topic debunks this idea, but enough voters still believe it that politicians keep using it.
The United States is amazing, in that the wealthy ask the poor to vote against their interests, and the poor do it. Americans are especially susceptible to this.
Alexis de Toqueville wrote long ago that “there are no poor Americans, just temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” We may all assume that since we are on the superior side of at least some inequality, wealth and public policy should favor us. As a consequence of the anticipation of wealth or good fortune, Americans endorse those policies that permit inequality, but it never seems to work out. Somehow it’s “the other guy” that benefits from our unequal public policies.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said — speaking of blacks and whites — that if we act as though we do respect one another, we may in time come to have respect for one another. I would echo that sentiment, with a twist. If we all act as though we are equal, we may in time see that we are in fact equal.
In tax policies, health care policies, voting rights policies, access to justice and education and civil rights, let us evaluate policies as though we are all truly equal, including the rich and the poor.
“The rich are different from you and I,” said F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Ernest Hemingway responded, “Yes, they have more money.”
We are all equal.
What can we do to support public policies that work for all of us? Recognize the truth in the words of Senator Paul Wellstone, “We all do better when we all do better.”
Let’s do more to stop unfair policies, like tax breaks that only accrue to the rich, or corporate tax breaks that only accrue to stock holders. Let’s revamp a health care policy that harms rural residents and ignores low income wage earners. Please campaign in support of public school levies, so that we can all have good schools. Attend a public meeting: school board, township trustees, County Commission or library board. Pick a venue and just show up. When policy is being made, ask yourself if that policy is treating everyone equally.
If we all act as though we are equal, we may in time see that we are in fact equal.
