We've been told time and time again that;

All humans are are equal.

But the “haves” don't exactly raise their children with that mindset, do they?

Because really...

Are all humans truly equal?

Equality

An idea that people should have the same rights, status, opportunities, and protection under the law, regardless of their background or social position.

But when we look around us, things get a little more complicated.

Are all human beings truly equal?

These days, everywhere you go, there's talk about the fight for equality.

As a wise man once said, “Heaven does not create one person above or below another.”

That's not the whole quote.

He goes on to say that "while we may all be equal at birth, pretty soon, things begin to change.

Our choices, circumstances, abilities, opportunities, and achievements begin to separate us.

Academic effort is one of the things that can set some people apart from others.

And, at any rate, humans change over time based on their actions and circumstances."

We're all guilty of this in one way or another.

Everywhere we look, someone feels bigger or more advantaged because they have a higher IQ, more money, more influence, more connections, and so on.

The life of the 'haves' can be completely different from that of the 'have-nots.'

And I can't help but wonder...

Is equality all a farce?

The law says no one is above the law.

Everyone is supposed to stand equally before it.

But we've all seen scenarios, both at home and abroad, where the haves don't seem to be treated equally before the law.

They get leeway because they know someone who knows the judge.

Or because they have enough money to hire the right lawyers.

Or because they have enough influence to make a problem disappear.

That's why, if a privileged child and a less privileged child commit the same crime...

We all know how the story ends.

The privileged child could be chilling in another country while the other one is facing the full weight of the law.

That example seems far away.

Let's come down a little.

Haven't we all seen situations in class where the most intelligent student doesn't want to associate with the least intelligent?

Then the same intelligent student gets more leeway when they do something they should probably be punished for.

Look around.

Is this what equality looks like?

Truth be told, equality exists more as an ideal than as a complete reality.

Because humans are different.

Our abilities are different.

Our circumstances are different.

Our opportunities are different.

Our social positions are different.

And the way society treats us can be different too.

So perhaps the real question might not be whether human beings are equal in every sense.

Perhaps it's this:

Can we create a society where our differences don't determine the value of our lives, our rights, or how fairly we're treated?