Respect is what we all as individuals owe to one another. Society is confusing the necessary need for respect for everyone as individuals with unique characteristics by instead making everyone equal. Differences are what makes mankind unique, and the fabrication of some bland monotonous vision society is attempting to portray is not only unattainable but unethical. There is a limit that one must put on pro-equality because if it is surpassed it can reach the point of unfairness, not to mention the challenges society can face in committing to pro-equality.
To begin, many people are pro-equality in the world and while everyone should be given an equal chance, no one should be assumed to be the same as another person. Pro-equality stands for giving everyone an equal shot in society. For example, in the workforce there has always been the touchy issue of equality “It is unlawful discrimination for an employer to treat a person less favorably than others for a reason to do with disability” (“Disability Discrimination”). Anyone should have an equal chance on becoming who he or she wants to be in the world. There are countless individuals who wish to perfect this process in schools, “Special education advocates have fought long and hard for the laws the force local school districts to pay out-of-district tuition for some special education students” (“The $141,000 Student”). The only determining factor concerning equality is how far one strives. If someone is offered all the equal opportunity as the next guy yet that person displays a lack of interest, then society should avoid putting all their energy into “perfecting” that person in what he or she does not even want to do. The same goes with if that person is capable of doing specific tasks. I for one know that I could never be a professional basketball player, I simply do not have the physical or mental build and I do not even enjoy it. So why should society even bother to make me feel equal by allowing me to join the basketball team, especially if I might bring the whole team down?
Furthermore, unfairness concerning equality can be present on both sides of the spectrum. While excluding people with differences, or people with disabilities is completely dishonorable the same can apply for people without disabilities. After all, many believe “Fairness is not just a measure of equality- whether of opportunity or outcome” (“Equality report”). If society is so focused on helping or assisting people with disabilities they can loose their focus on helping those without disabilities to the point of even excluding them, for example, how people can become determined to fund and educate people with disabilities “If the district can’t provide an appropriate education tailored to the child’s specific needs, then it must pay to send the child somewhere that can” (“The $141,000 Student”). This does not seem fair because it draws the question of what about a child without special needs? Would the district pay for him or her as well, and on top of that who ends up paying for the child? It is a tough call on where to draw the line in assisting people. Is it fair to automatically throw in a child with severe mental disabilities into a class with all children without mental disabilities? There is also a problem in discipline concerning people with or without disabilities. While I agree in principle of being more lenient with persons with disabilities, that is only to a certain extent, for just like any other person, he or she would know that he or she is being given leniency, and like any other person might conclude in taking advantage of it. In the end the whole topic just narrows down to respect. Respect should be given to absolutely everyone at all costs because that is what is fair, not trying to perfect this vision of equality because someone will always be left out.
Finally, society can face many challenges in pursuing equality. Not only in how a person with disabilities can on occasion lash out due to misunderstanding but also in the expenses of committing to helping a person with disabilities. There have been many occasions in which people with disabilities have lashed out out of frustration or misunderstanding to their peers or teachers, and society then runs into the trouble of how to cope with them. It has been brought up before; discipline concerning children with disabilities, in one incident a child had lashed out at her teacher. What followed her abuse towards her teacher “was an expensive, extreme example of what school districts sometimes must do to comply with federal special education requirements” (“The $141,000 Student”). There is also the trouble of expenses when it comes to assisting or educating persons with disabilities. Some people can not afford to include a person with disabilities in their lives, which usually can lead to other people paying for them, whether it be through taxes or funds. Assisting others to get an education is a completely generous thing to do but where does one draw the line in funds, especially if that person themself does not have to pay for it, “Federal Funding is the only way to ensure that public education equality is upheld nationwide” (“Admin”). For example, there can be a million dollar bond in making a playground AA approved for a couple students with disabilities but if one were to collect a million dollar bond for new desks in schools that would be a far greater challenge. When society focuses too much of its funds on any specific thing it can cause dispute amongst others and in this case, too much support to those who have disabilities can be both unjust and challenging financially. Society also runs into the problem that pure equality is simply unattainable and impractical. It is a complete waste of effort to donate all one’s time to equality because there will always be cracks in equality whether it be from what society exposes on itself or what the individual believes and pursues.
In the end, giving everyone the respect they deserve and providing everyone an equal chance it the greatest thing one can bestow but automatically assuming everyone is equal and throwing everyone in the same boat in completely biased. There is a limit society must accept in our world of opportunity, and that is that pro-equality is by all means an honorable thing to pursue but only to an extent before it becomes unfair, not to mention the challenges citizens can face in the whole topic. Pure equality is unattainable and the strive for it is inequitable and cruel to not only people with disabilities but also people without.Works Cited
"The $141,000 Student: Longview District Pays for Special Ed Student's Enrollment in Private Utah Facility." Home. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://tdn.com/news/article_6e0d3c55-59ce-5821-a0a4-9144b5085919.html>.
Admin. "Public School Funding of Federal Importance." Public School Funding of Federal Importance. 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. <http://www.themerionite.org/?p=2740>.
Cates, Kay. Personal Interview. 1 Dec. 2010.
"Equality Report Slams Divided Britain | Society | Guardian.co.uk." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/oct/10/equality-report-britain-divided>.
Seely, Gordon M. Education and Opportunity; for What and for Whom. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1970. Print.
"TeacherNet, A to Z of School Leadership - Disability Discrimination." TeacherNet: the Education Site for Teachers and School Managers. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/atoz/d/disabilitydiscrimination/index.cfm?code=faqu>.
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