A message mainly addressed to Americans, though also applicable to everyone else:
It has come to my attention that there are too many people encapsulated in their lives.
It saddens me like nothing else. People believe: they have no power, they are nothing, they are trapped– held down by powers that be, that they have no options, that they can’t do nothing, they are incapable of greatness, that they are suppressed and in being suppressed– that they are slaves to the external world.
I cannot allow this mindset to continue any longer. I am incapable of sitting idly by while people continue to live in the misconception that they are not free. Every single individual that exists is free– this comes with another statement that everyone must come to realize: Since every single person is free, every single person is equal.
YOU, and everyone else, ARE FREE
and thus
YOU, and everyone else, ARE EQUAL
Not believing either of these two statements only serves to harm yourself and benefit others. Others only have their power over you because you do not believe this. In not believing that you are on the same level as others, you set yourself back before you ever even find out for certain. You let yourself lose before you even gave yourself a chance.
People love to idolize the “inequalities of the world”
People love to say things like “racial inequalities exist in society and the world in general. Pretending that we’re all equal ignores the issue and doesn’t help. We need to acknowledge that society treats dark skinned people as less valuable than light skinned people.”
Wow, just wow. Racial inequalities don’t exist in society and the world in general. I know that that’s a controversial statement but if you are a POC who wants to “take the power back” or have the whole world and everything you want at your fingertips, you should hear me out. If you’re a light skinned person who believes that, it would do you just as well to listen.
Let me ask you a question, would you rather symbolize the “inequalities in the world” rather than symbolize equality in a world where “we are unequal”? Hm? Building symbolism in adherence of inequality doesn’t sit right with me personally.
Imagine building statues that all have the meaning of “you are not equal because of your skin” or “you are a lesser being in the world because of your skin”… This is what you are doing when you decide to perpetuate the narrative that there are “inequalities in the world”, that “POCs are treated worse”, “that society treats dark skinned people as less valuable than light skinned people”.
Do you realize that when you say this that you are essentially saying, “POC in the world are worth less and treated worse than everyone else”? Maybe you believe that, but is that really a world that you would like to live in? “No, but it is the world we live in”, no my friend, it’s the world YOU live in.
There is no “pretending” we are unequal.
It is an UNCONTESTED FACT that WE ARE ALL EQUAL
Regardless of how anyone behaves toward you or anyone else, WE ARE ALL EQUAL. I say it again, it doesn’t matter how individuals treat other individuals for whatever reason, regardless of how anyone treats anyone else WE ARE ALL EQUAL.
Saying “pretending that we’re all equal” is also saying “we’re not equal” and this is INHERENTLY WRONG.
I’ll ask you another question, do you believe that anyone with a particular shade of skin is worth more/less than a person with a different shade of skin? Probably not, so would anyone ever say “pretending that we’re all equal” then, hm? Do you not believe that an individuals skin color has NOTHING to do with their own worth?
The real objective, and what I’m setting out to do in writing this article is that we should be showing the people who don’t believe we are all equal that we are all equal by saying “don’t you know everyone is equal? Don’t you know that we shouldn’t be treating other people differently according to their skin color?”.
We should do that rather than showing people that already think everyone is equal by saying “hey, not everyone treats everyone the same”
The latter does no good whatsoever, it merely perpetuates the idea that the world is against people rather than perpetuating the idea that we should all stand together.
“Society places greater worth on white people over black people. So we’re not all equal. Shouting ‘we’re all equal’ is basically saying ‘racism doesn’t exist’.”
Someone said this to me once. They also said, “that’s just too rainbows and Disney for me. That just isn’t the reality we live in. And yes I’d rather highlight the inequalities in the world. I’m more likely to support the underdogs and disadvantaged if I perceive a sense of unfairness and injustice.”
That’s the reality that person lived in, that we are not equal and that society places worth dependent on skin tone. That is a reality, but what a sad one to live in.
Let me please offer an alternative reality that anyone may don.
Society does not place greater worth on white people over black people. Saying “society” does something means that everyone participating in society does it– not everyone places greater worth on white people over black people and that makes any blanket of how “society” behaves untrue.
INDIVIDUALS pace greater worth on white people over black people, this is racism, this is wrong, and racism does exist. I will and would never contest the existence of racism because it does indeed exist.
I’d like to ask you a question reader.
Are you, or any POC individual, going to let racists say POC are worth less than whites?
Are you going to let them run the narrative saying that white lives have more value than black lives? Would you like that to be the prevailing idea running through society? Or would you like to contest that idea?
The idea of every individual being worth the same regardless of skin color could be the reality if everyone accepted it and if we all let the idea spread, but we have to not have people that stop the spread, or at least more spreading it than stopping it.
Highlight the inequalities of the world and you’re more likely to support if you’re seeing people being treated unfairly? Why not just put a stop to people being treated unfairly in the first place? Why even have the negative action? We don’t have to have the negative to influence the good, we can just have the good.
“Individuals form the society, so the semantics don’t really matter”
The semantics definitely matter. Does a butterfly behave like a caterpillar? Does an individual ant out in the world behave the same as when it’s in the colony? Certainly not and it would be overly simplificative to think so.
“Highlighting inequalities doesn’t mean you support it or agree with it. It’s just raising awareness that societies across the world places lower value on darker skinned people.”
If you say “POC are valued worth less in the world than whites” then that is buying into the idea that that is the case of reality in the world. It is giving energy to that idea. Why would we give energy to that idea, when we can give energy to the idea that everyone should be treated the same regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, sex, ethnicity, age, or background?
This idea isn’t wrong, we are all equal.
Just because some treat others wrongly as not equal, doesn’t make it the case; you can think a lamb’s tail is a leg– but that is not the case, it is definitely a tail and it always was a tail. It is not the sad truth of the world, it is a sad lie.
I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, knowing we are equal does not mean turning a blind eye to the inequities of another, those don’t go away through knowing this, we still need to care for our fellow siblings and children of the Earth.
We cannot allow this idea to continue any longer, it is dangerous and it is how division is sown.
If you saw a piece of trash on the ground, would you walk past it or pick it up?
If you saw someone that fell onto the ground, wouldn’t you stop and help pick them up?
Say a friend you loved wanted to do something but didn’t think they could do it, wouldn’t you encourage them and lead them away from an unhelpful mindset?
This is why I feel the need to speak up and have the conversation.
I feel so adamantly about this because I am a US citizen, and in my country we have a founding document titled the Declaration of Independence. This document declares the law within our boarders, how life is declared by law. And we are a nation of laws.
This document states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (as in humanity) 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.”
The sole charge of the government is to protect the unalienable rights of its citizens which they made clear by saying: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government …”
Now I know we’re not here for a history lesson, but this is to drive home that it is a fact that all of us are equal within the US. It is incontestable that we are equal.
“Blah blah slavery and segregation and racism”
You might say that, and I would say you’re right, those are valid points and we should consider them.
We didn’t all start out completely free and equal, but look at where we are now. We are adjusted and every single citizen within our boarders all possesses the same rights as another no matter the age/sex/gender/ethnicity/race, that they are.
It doesn’t matter if people are “racist” is that stopping anyone from having any sort of opportunity they could have otherwise? No! If someone is standing in their way and holding them down (figuratively holding down of course because, in all actuality, nobody hardly holds anyone down physically anymore) they have the option to move or go somewhere/to someone else.
“Ok but we’re at least not all equal across the world”.
Well if you would amend that to say “we’re at least not all TREATED equally” then yeah you’re right there too. We’re not all treated equally but WE ARE ALL EQUAL. ALL OF US across the world. Again, you’re right we’re all not treated equally, but WE ARE ALL EQUAL.
And I would say we both think that’s a problem to be solved right? That we are all equal and it is terrible we all don’t treat each other as such? I think we’re on the same side there right? So how do we get people to stop treating others unequally?
Well the ultimate solution is to show them that WE ARE ALL EQUAL. No matter what anybody thinks, no matter what anyone says, this is the case, we are all born under the sky, nobody takes a shit that smells like roses, we are all dust and to dust we shall return. Stop people thinking that anyone is above someone else because that is an idea and that idea seed sows divisiveness rather than unity. And I don’t know about you, but when I see a weed in my garden, I pull it out.
“If everyone was actually equal then we’d all get treated the same. You’re no Elon Musk, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Lebron James, or your boss. They are going to receive better treatment than you from society”
Treatment of equality and being equal are two different things, the former of which would be quickly dissipating if people would ever quit and saying and agreeing that skin has different values.
I know that I am the same as Elon, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Lebron, AND my boss. I am equal to them, and so are you, so is EVERY INDIVIDUAL.
Many people might likely be quick to disagree with me, but that may be because they place so much value on what’s around these individuals rather than who they actually are. Everyone else is equal to all of these individuals, at least in the US, it’s “we the people” and we the people have the power.
Yes all of these people have different things, that’s nice and awesome and they’re allowed to but there is nothing saying that nobody else is allowed to as well. Yes also people are allowed to treat people based on the things around them, cool, that is also awesome and allowed.
But if you take all of our things away, strip us naked, put us in a field, and ask someone in rural South America (who has no idea who we are) who is better than another, they won’t know or be able to choose. They may say something like “Lebron because he can pick the fruit on the tallest trees” but then again, they may say the Queen of The UK because she is old and knows more things due to her being so old, or maybe they would say I was the most valuable because I am the youngest of the bunch and this I have the most opportunity for growth out of them all.
Learn this lesson now– All Value is Subjective
When you look at valuing a person, anything you look at that’s not them is subjective. When you look at a person, a naked individual with arms and legs and stinky poops just like everyone else, they are infinitely valuable and worth the same as every other infinitely valuable individual in existence.
This idea is very powerful and that power is why it’s narrative continues to be pushed down. The powers that be don’t want people knowing that they’re on the same ground as Elon, the Queen of the UK, Lebron, or any other person because then they won’t be able to control them as easily. The people knowing this won’t allow themselves to be pushed around or take any treatment of inequality because they know they are worth more.
People are equal and this is an unequivocal fact.
If you would like to believe that people such as yourself are not equal. That they are under or above other individuals then fine, that is one way to live, under others. I choose to live on the same footing as others and I believe others should choose that as well.
I bring individual choice to the table because individuals make up the society. If one would like to change society you must change what it is made of.
Some may think that this view of equality is overly simplistic.
“You’re not equal to your boss. He has power over you. If you were equal to him then why don’t you ask him to carry out x y or z task for you?
You’re not equal to Elon Musk. Go walk into a bank and request a loan for 5 million USD. Because Elon would get approved no problem. You likely wouldn’t.
Are you equal to Lebron James? Can you defeat him in 1 on 1 game? I doubt it.
In a pack of wolves, is the alpha wolf equal to the omega wolf? After all, they have the same number of limbs, a head, and organs. But are you still going to try to convince yourself that they’re equal?”
It is not overly simplistic, it is the way it is. The fact that you give all of these other things so much weight is your (and everyone else’s who chooses to buy into that narrative) perception of reality.
That is a reality I refuse to buy into because it has zero benefit to me or anyone else within society.
We are all equal, there is no fighting this. Human is born, human lives, human dies, no human is excluded— heck, the only thing that is excluded from this is Nothing. We are all one and we are all connected, this makes us all equal.
I am equal to my boss, I am very fortunate that my boss is a person that I can speak with and make suggestions regarding the company and he will do what I ask so long as I can provide him with a good reason to do so. My boss knows that I need them and I know that they need me. There is a mutual understanding that either one of us may continue to work together or sever our connection whensoever one of us chooses that.
I have no reason for a gigantic loan and securing a loan is outside of who Elon and I are as people. Elon Musk and I are equal regardless of his or my ability to secure a loan.
In a pack of wolves the alpha and omega are equal because there would be no alpha without the omega. The alpha may be and is also dethroned at any point should they prove to the pack that they are not a good pack leader.
Are the flowers better than the bees? The sky better than the sea? Is the night better than the day? Is the inside better than the outside? Are any of the elements (fire, earth, water, or air) better than their compadres?
No no no and no.
They are all different/unique and all have different abilities/characteristics and you could not have any one of them without the other. A bee can fly better than a flower, but that does not make a bee superior to a flower. Everything under the sun is equal, regardless of what anyone would like to think.
What would you say that “reality” is anyway?
I’ll save you the trouble and tell you what “reality” is.
Are you ready?
Are you sure?
Ok great!
“Reality” is: a noun.
Reality is actually not able to be encapsulated into words because it is beyond words, reality is indescribable, the same way a mother might say “you’ll never know how much I love you”. You might have an inkling, you might have seen what she does to show her love. But you will never ever know exactly how much she loves you from within, words do not do it. The only way you could know how much your mom loves you is by being your mom. Otherwise you only have an inkling, you can get closer by becoming a parent, but you still will never ever be able to know.
“What does that have to do with what we’re talking about?”
I’ll bring it back in to something more relevant.
We, as humans, can only see light within the visible light spectrum, we can only hear frequencies from 20Hz – 20kHz, other animals that exist can detect many many things we can’t. As such, there are infinite other frequencies beyond what we see and hear that make up “reality” and yet we can only detect a small sliver of these, even with our technology. All of this to say, we have no idea of what reality actually is because we experience only the smallest crumb of reality.
Going forward, this is saying that we only know what we can see/hear/detect, right?
That is what makes up each individual’s reality, the summation of the detection of experiences that they possess makes up their reality.
For example, swans were only known to be white for the longest time. People thought a black swan couldn’t exist and was impossible. “Swans are white and that’s all that exists”.
That is, until we finally found black swans. Now all of our knowledge gets shifted on its head. Our “reality” was “there are no black swans, that’s impossible” turned into, “wow there are actually black swans”.
Our conversation going on here is basically me saying “hey I’ve seen a black swan and know that they are real” and others may choose not to believe me because you haven’t seen it yourself.
That’s actually a super valid way to be, I understand why one would want take that action. “Seeing is believing” as they say.
So “I have seen black swans and they exist” that is my truth. My truth of reality contains black swans, someone else’s truth of reality may not.
“I have not seen a black swan so they do not exist, I don’t believe you you’d have to show me”. We really are both right insofar as our understandings take us but where our understandings don’t connect is in the effort of understanding. If you really want to see and know a black swan you will have to put in the effort and go to Australia.
I am saying “hey black swans exist”, and someone else is saying, “they do not, I’ve never seen one”, and I reply, “they exist, I know they do, I saw them in Australia”, and you still say, “I haven’t seen any, they don’t exist to me”, so I say, “ok cool, well if you want to see one, go to Australia” and you say “why should I go to Australia if black swans don’t exist?”
Anyway I digress.
To make it simple, reality is really subjective.
There are understandings that can be shared and built upon for everyone, but you have to help them see it they need the same things that you have.
As reality is subjective, what I have shared and is known to me is my reality. The idea that everyone is not equal is another reality.
Are both ideas right? Yes.
Do I want to live in a reality where we are all not equal? No.
I vehemently oppose a reality in which all human beings are not equal I will never choose to think that way. Others may keep their overly complex and negative (in my eyes) reality of inequality between human beings.
Reality is subjective, any reality that is stated is valid, but just in case you don’t know:
You can choose any other reality whenever you like.
You do not have to stay living in any particular reality. If you ever wanna come party at the BBQ in my reality where everyone from the president to the janitor has a good time together and stop thinking people are worth more or less based on their identifying traits, you’re always welcome and we’ll make you a plate and serve you up a nice cold drink.
Wishing you all the best,
FCP 🙃
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