All men are not created equal

All men are NOT created equal.
Sounds un-American doesn’t it?
It sounds non-patriotic to even say.
But the truth be known, it is very American.
Because it is a very accurate reflection of our society
and it is time to stop lying about it and speak the truth about America.
Now if the founding Fathers meant it as an aspirational phrase, an ideal we
will all work toward as a country all the while knowing that we are not there
yet but that someday we will be.
Then I get it.
It’s like ‘peace on earth goodwill toward men’.
It ain’t like that now but it is a someday wish all humanity shares.
But the Founding Fathers meant it as a core belief. A statement of
recognition that this country would be the first ever to establish that equality
of men is the foundational belief which all the precepts our government will
be based on and follow.
All men are created equal.
However, if all men are created equal why don’t we treat them that way?
Let’s go back and strike it from the Declaration of Independence.
If we are not going to act like it, we should quit saying it altogether:
‘All Men are Created Equal’.
Not true. Not true in any way.
‘All men are NOT created equal...’
First of all, half of them are women.
They get treated so unequally by the men who wrote those words
that they are left out of the sentence entirely.
All these white men who signed the declaration were only referring to
themselves.
And to their like. They and their associates were all considered equal.
No one else even existed much less mattered. I guess.
It was written in 1776 as a declaration, which is downright laughable.
It would have been fine if it had been written as an aspiration perhaps.
In which case it would have been an aspiration that never materialized.
It was always just out of reach.
Perhaps the next generation...
Perhaps when my grandchildren are born...
Perhaps down the road...
Just not now.
But it ain’t ever going to be ‘now’.

I know enough to know that when things have not changed in 247 years
they are not going to change, until you change something.
It is insane to expect different results until we do something to change
things.
We should start by addressing it by calling it out.
After all, these Forefathers declared their freedom based on ‘all men are
created equal’
when at the same time 11 of the 39 signers of the Declaration were slave
owners.
The word ‘hypocrisy’ doesn’t only come to mind - it completely envelopes my
entire mind.
But apparently none of these guys saw it.
And these were our Founding Fathers.
I’m not making any of this up.
This is our history.
Our shared American history.
‘All men are NOT created equal’.
Perhaps we should change it to,
‘All rich WHITE men are created equal...’
All others are treated like shit. Women are treated like shit.
If you’re black you can forget about it. If you are of any race other than
‘white’ then prepare to feel not quite good enough no matter where you go.
In the banks, At the police station, in a store. You are not treated as an equal.
Not really. Not completely. You are just a half-step below.
But if we do want to keep all men are created equal, then let’s do it.
Let’s treat everyone the same, starting tomorrow.
So, if that works, I will see you at the country club tomorrow for breakfast.
Or perhaps at the bank, or at the day care, the IRS, the police station. At the
lawyer’s office. In the Admirals Club at LAX, when we travel. At the tire store
or the drug store. Or the high-end grocery store.
You see what I mean.
We do not all get treated equal.
But we could.
Any thoughts on how we change things?
Not destructive or angry thoughts.
Those are only distracting.
But rather solution-oriented approaches or ideas, let me know.