Equality, Fairness and Election

United States presidential campaign is starting to kick into high gear again. It is one of the most significant decisions millions of Americans will make in the voting booth which will impact the direction the country is going.

From the very beginnings of the United States, forefathers declared the concept central to the principle with the proclamation that all men are created equal - equal in the eyes of the law, equal in their value as humans, equal in their rights and opportunities to pursue their happiness. It was a bold and unprecedented declaration in the human history which set the United States history on a unique foundation from the very beginning. Through over two hundred years struggle, there is not a question any more that everyone, regardless of their race, gender or beliefs, should have the same legal rights, at least in the United States. All men are created equal indeed mean all human. If you are taking the equality issue for granted, a recent World Bank report indicates that only six countries in the world give women equal legal work rights as men.

This past week, we have seen millions of Americans vocalize their pain in protests across the nation responding to the tragic death of George Floyd which provides a glaring reminders of the progress we need to make to have a truly equal and just society. We all have a responsibility to recognize this pain and the systemic racism that has caused it. We as a society will need to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. Many decisions will have implications on both our daily life as well the directions for the country.

While equality is a legal concept defined by the constitution, fairness is a moral concept regulated to an extent by policy and practices. For a society or a work team to function properly, people needs to be treated fairly. We are equal but we are not the same. we all have our differences but our differences does not make us superior or inferior to anybody. If we were all the same, it would be very easy to treat everyone fair. Everyone would get exactly the same treatment. Since we are all different, it becomes a societal issue to decide what is considered fair.

In fact, there are many examples where we intentionally treat people differently to achieve fairness. We build special access in all public buildings for the convenience of handicapped people. We give financial support for children from low income family so that they can get college education. We have separate sports events for men and women.

As a small example, college acceptance criterion has been an issue dogging US colleges including the Ivy schools for many years. Should race be considered a factor for admission? One the one side, many Asians complain that admission standards for them are significantly higher than those for other races. On the other side, many schools still argue that a more diverse student body provides an overall better education for all. Similar issue is currently being contested regarding to New York City public school magnet program for high school students. What is fair? Obviously it is not fair to those Asians who are rejected but would it be fair to those who get in today as a result of the policy if the policy is abolished. It looks more and more likely the issue will be decided by the Supreme Court. Even then, it is not likely a black and white decision.

How about income tax? What is the fairest way to tax people's income. Everyone agrees that higher income people should pay more tax and they already do. The top one percent of the high income people pays about 40% of the federal income tax in this country. What should be the criterion for fairness? This is not something the society will agree on easily since there is no subjective criterion. 

During a crisis situations such the current COVID-19, how should the government decide the balance between economic impact and the value of individual life? How should the government set priorities for any emergency measuresHow should government action balance public health interest with individual rights?

We all like to complain about our government but dealing with those issues is exactly the reason we need to have government. Different systems will use different criteria to decide the fairness among its citizens such as tax issue, or fairness between current and future citizens such as climate issues. 

What makes the United States the greatest country on earth is that the strength of the country comes from we the people and not the government. The best way to ensure fairness is to act — by reflecting on what we are doing and how we are doing it in our workplace and in our communities; and to actively participate in the process, and more importantly to vote so that your voices are heard in the process.

(Photos by Xinjin Zhao, 1. American Flag Taken at Lake Powell, Utah, 2. Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC 3. Washington Monument under Dark Clouds)

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