Equality vs. Reality

avoiceformen · 2010-08-14T17:25:31+00:00

I think you are confusing two forms of how we treat people.

One is legislatively, and this is where people should be treated equally. Laws are written for a generalized human being (that in a philosophical sense, does not exist), and the intricacies of real people are excluded. This is how people who have no idea who you are decide how to treat you. A judge, a lawyer, a cop, the people that live in your apartment, and so on. If they treat you any differently outside of that set of laws, they are judged on an individual basis.

I want to make it clear that the law is not equal for males and females right now. I am not arguing that. This is what needs to be equal.

The other kind of way we treat people is personally. When we get to know them on an individual basis. This will never be equal. No two people are alike, how could it?

For example : when two parents are fighting for custody, they should be equally judged to see who is fit to be a better parent. Superficialities like gender should not factor into the equation (being the mother doesn't make you a better parent). Now, the judgement itself is not equal : a parent that is mentally abusive should not get custody, a parent that won't work should not get custody and so on.

In essence, the law itself should apply equally to all human beings. But when we hold trial, decide who are our friends, who we help when they need their shoes tied[1], who gets custody, and so on, that is judged on an individual basis.

Legislative equality is simply a guideline. It is only the foundation of how human beings are treated.

[1]-I had a friend who had one arm. Yes, she was an adult, but she needed someone to tie her shoes and knot them, because she couldn't do it herself. So when they came untied, I tied them for her.

Feckless · 2010-08-14T16:58:30+00:00

Oh and don't steal my money...

Title	Equality vs. Reality
Author	avoiceformen
Upvotes	3
Comments	4
Date	August 14, 2010 1:39 PM UTC (15 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/d14j0/equality_vs_reality/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/equality-vs-reality.1048103 https://theredarchive.com/post/1048103

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