Equity versus Equal

Equitable is derived from "Equity," which means "recognizing that people have different circumstances and providing them with the resources and support they need to have an equal chance of success."  

Equity and Equitable are used a lot in today's political dialogue, mostly by progressives and liberals.

I prefer "equality" over equity.  "Equality means providing the same resources and opportunities to everyone, regardless of differences or needs."  

"Equality aims for equal opportunity, while equity aims for equal outcomes." 

Achieving "equity" requires taking money from someone determined to have a better chance and giving that person's money to someone who needs more resources and support.  Some people definitely need help or a helping hand depending on their circumstances.  But building a true system of equity creates a number of questions.

In the real world, who decides which person needs resources and who is the person that has the better chance and therefore has to pony up their money?  What happens if someone who needed resources and support overcame that handicap and succeeded on their own?  Does that person get taxed to support others?  What if the person who had the better opportunity fails to succeed due to circumstances beyond their control?  Does that person still get taxed simply because they started better off than another?  

How do we determine what is the basis for needing more resources and support?  If we look at the Smithsonian Purpose, Mission, and Vision statements, one would say whites automatically have better circumstances and blacks need help, regardless of their real circumstances.  

What if Person A is a very talented mechanic and that person says "I want to be a computer programmer" but they turn out to be unable to comprehend technology.  A pure reading of the definition of Equity says we are aiming for an equal outcome.  Do we pile on resources to try to help that person overcome their inability to work with technology and just keep on piling on resources forever?  At what point do we say, you need to be a mechanic.  Or does Equity mean we just give them a tech job, being paid at the same level as someone really good?

What if Person A could be a good programmer but they just don't want to do the work necessary to learn how?  They take the classes but don't study, don't practice, get mediocre grades.  How does Equity address that?  One way to address that is to say, as an exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture does, "hard work" is a characteristic of "whiteness" and therefore non-white people are not expected to work hard.  How does Equity achieve equal outcomes if non-white people don't have to work hard?

Achieving "equality" eliminates those questions.  The focus is on making sure everyone has the same opportunity at the start - no discrimination based on race, color, creed, etc.

Will Rogers once said "Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects."  Equality recognizes that and rewards people who recognize their strengths and use them.

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Quoted definitions are from "Google AI" when I posted a search on "Equitable versus Equal."

Reference to the Smithsonian's exhibit came from Google AI which I searched "who said 'hard work' and 'nuclear family' are racist terms."