IS EQUALITY IN ALL ITS VARIOUS FORMS A FAST DISAPPEARING DREAM?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Says the second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence. This therefore is based on two facts; firstly, the Founding Fathers recognised that man is created by God and secondly, God created every man to have the right to fair and equal living.
Overtime, greed in form of capitalism racism, sexism and other extremes ideologies has created oligarchs and the one per cent who have monopoly over land, the natural resources and its systems of dissemination. This then has allowed for the undeniable truth that the 21st century average person cannot be equal to an oligarch in every aspect of life. Nevertheless, the concept of social consciousness birthing social revolution of various forms (steaming mainly from Marxist ideals) seems to be a 21st century art for attaining equality, bridging the gap and stepping over the institution of gatekeeping and its representatives. Millennials are starting to do away with the idea that amassing physical assets of monetary value is the only way of achieving equality, and starting to embrace the culture of social revolution as the means to an end.
Social mobility theorists claim that one of the main determinants of moving up the social up ladder or being equal to those at the top of the food chain is having access to various forms of capital. Applying this principle to the above topic, the idea that equality in it various forms is a fast-disappearing dream is one I personally do not fully agree with. New trends, perspectives and thought patterns are ushering in fresh concepts; this of course includes the idea that having a huge following on multiple social platforms is a new form of social capital.
Social media has become the new way of attaining fame and attention, thus new rise of influencers, online public figures and brand ambassadors who can effect change. This trend has also evolved into other trends such as online hacktivism, activism and solidarity. People or companies passionate about certain causes such as racism, sexism, breaking glass ceilings are now able to have a million voices chant the same song in form of massive online campaigns. In some cases such as occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, these movements have morphed from online spaces into physical spheres in form of marches and matters of discussion in parliament.
Additionally, start-ups and other entrepreneurial projects can turn to crowd funding instead of venture capitalists and investors to start their businesses. The way I see it, this era of founders, consumers, investors and visionaries are beginning to understand the concept of equality taking baby steps towards that direction. It is starting to become a two-way interaction where corporations and conglomerates need consumers/influencers/trend-setters and consumers needing corporations because of the vast resources at their disposal to solve issues. However, we should not ignore the fundamental fact that those who own and control land have the most power regardless of whatever forms of social consciousness or spiritual evolution. I guess the next befitting statement to this is — Strive to own land.
In the context of marriage, relationships and partnerships, it is vital to understand that the man is the head irrespective of circumstances or belief systems. It is a natural and divine law that should not be inverted or dismissed. Nevertheless, does this give the man the authority to mistreat or oppress the woman in various forms? Absolutely not. It is the duty of the man to love, protect and provide for the woman as he does for himself. The man naturally placed as the head, ought to see the woman as his helpmate. Life and circumstances may cause the helpmate to have access to more resources than the head, but this does not automatically put the helpmate as the breadwinner of the marriage or relationship nor should it be an opportunity to question and challenge the man’s masculinity. In such cases, honour from both parties should be observed. Words and ideologies cannot provide the perfect recipe for equality between a man and his helpmate, but the virtues of respect, patience, understanding compromise, trust, love and faith will help create a conducive living environment where equality is the least of worries and the head and neck (helpmate) allows the rest of the body thrives in harmony.
Moving on, of sexism and glass ceilings, there is a saying that women with too much power cannot be trusted, and another that says that what a man can do, a woman can do better. If deeply pondered upon, there are some truths in both sayings. But, shall we because of sayings, ideologies and mental barriers dictated by culture trends and principles forgo the use of logic and truth, definitely not. If an individual is competent and well trusted for a job, irrespective of their race, gender and physical appearance, give them the job. Simplified thinking as this will propel the world forward get rid of irrelevancies and pull apart false truths and cataclysmic thought processes. However as stated above, due to natural law, a man is the head, but the head should not abuse power. Those men who do, have been damaged at some point in their lives. Being a pacifist, I have no doubt that in fifty years, we will see sexism and glass ceilings as less of an issue.
In conclusion, long as the sun exists, the idea of a sovereign nation of diverse languages, cultures and ethnic groups attaining absolute equality is impossible. Due to capitalism and man’s greedy nature, we will always have the poor and needy among us, and it is our moral, civil and spiritual duty to take care of them. I believe love in its true and purest form, without strings attached is the road to land of absolute equality, if there is such a place in this realm. In the words of Maya Angelou, imagine what we can accomplish if just one per cent of the world’s population can truly love. Misconceptions and misunderstanding fades away, jealousy is no more, global issues are solved, greed is tamed, honesty is welcome with open arms and selfish ideologies are locked deep beneath the ocean floor.
It is the utopia man has been craving for from the dawn of time until this present moment. Until the day we all stand in one accord in reverence to our Creator, love your neighbour as yourself, remove the log of wood in your eye before telling your brother, to do the same, believe in love and practice the act of love. God is love
