Summary

The recently often used word, inequality, is frequently used as an accusation or a condemnation rather than simply an observation. When people use inequality as a criticism, as something that needs to be corrected, are they talking about inequality under the law, inequality of opportunity (apart from the law), inequality of results or inherent inequalities e.g., height, longevity genes or attractiveness?

For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about the answers to these two questions.

Transcript

The recently often used word, inequality, is frequently used as an accusation or a condemnation rather than simply an observation. When people use inequality as a criticism, as something that needs to be corrected, are they talking about inequality under the law, inequality of opportunity (apart from the law), inequality of results or inherent inequalities e.g., height, longevity genes or attractiveness?

For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about the answers to these two questions.

Let’s start by taking a position on legal inequality; there isn’t any. As always, I am open to challenge here; point out situations where the law encourages or even permits discrimination, and I will stand with you to fight it.  

Now, let’s address inequality of opportunity. We have that in abundance. Some we must leave alone, and others we must correct. Using education as an example, we see there are inequalities that we should not try to fix, and inequalities that we must use all the tools at our disposal to correct --and do it now. If a family is able to afford to send their children to top private schools from pre-K through graduate school, well, good for them. My parents couldn’t, and neither can I. But that does not mean that either everyone should have that ability, or that no one should. This is an example of where there is an uneven playing field, a lack of balance in opportunity, and we all need to recognize it and move on.

Where there is an imbalance in education is the pre-K through high school world. Aggressive school choice would fix it by providing needed competition. But it seems that many of the people who decry uneven playing fields are dedicated to preserving huge differences in the quality of schools available to families across America. Competition provided by allowing parents to have ready access to equally funded traditional public schools, charter schools and vouchers for private schools, would begin to improve our school literally overnight. Competition makes for better sports, better computers and better cars--just for a start. So why is there any resistance to school competition at all, much less the stiff resistance we see on a regular basis? Special interest groups are placing their needs above those of the students and their families and communities. Teachers unions want all the funding to go to public schools because that is where their power lies. Politicians, even the ones who send their children to private schools, want the votes and the funds the teachers unions send their way. And the kids, their parents and our country are left begging. The unions support the politicians, the politicians restrict charter schools, and virtually refuse to grant vouchers.

Let’s introduce the free or equal concept; in other words, pick one. We cannot be free and equal at the same time. Remember, I have taken the position that there is no legal discrimination, so when I talk about equality of opportunity, it always assumes legal equality. I am addressing equality of opportunity outside of the law. Even at a glance, it must be clear that we cannot be free and have either completely equal opportunity or equal results simultaneously. Let’s hear another voice on this: “Human beings are born with different capacities; if they are free they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.