The Meaning of Equality

Lisa Marie Romero

World Literature – Period 1

The Meaning of Equality

        The first thing most people think when they hear the word equality (and I would know because I asked 13 different people) is, “I dunno … everything being the same? Yeah, that, I guess.” They would stop thinking about my question right then and there and continue on to something that was “much more important than overthinking a silly question.” It astonished me that out of all the thirteen people I asked this question, only one of them ignored everything around them and gave real thought to the question; me.

        People treating people the same no matter what their age, gender, sexuality, gender identification, nationality, size, or any of those labels society gives us. We are all human beings and we should all be treated equally. For example, equality should be letting people love who they want to love. Who cares if a man loves a man or if a woman loves a woman? That is our decision alone to make and we should be able to make that decision without being treated differently when in reality, we are all the same. I mean, it is still loving, right? Allowing everyone to be happy; that is equality.

        Another problem people in society seem to have with equality is perfection. People go around saying “No one cares if you’re fat or skinny,” when in reality, they look at people and, just by that first glance, they judge you on your size and on how many pimples you have on your face. Everyone worries about being perfect at least once in their life. Why? If society says everyone is “equally as beautiful,” then why are there only skinny, “skin-so-perfect-it-shines” models for Victoria’s Secret, or Hollister, or any of those pointless stores everyone seems to care too much about? Rarely have I ever seen anyone with size 12 jeans on any of those commercials of pictures for magazines. Saying that everyone is equal is one thing, showing it and putting your words to life is another.