This week’s topic for Writer’s Quotes Wednesdays is fairness, equal, eqitable, just or the counter point “Unfair!” Merriam Webster defines fairness three ways: impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination, having light-colored hair or a pale complexion, and beauty.
This is my response.
OVERHEARD
“It’s not fair. It’s so not fair! Sooooo not fair! Not fair! Totally not fair!” “I don’t have any – where’s mine?”
I don’t even have to say which grandchild this was. Except she is super cute, gorgeous and very dramatic. But it did make me wonder what was so ‘not fair’? ls it life or just our reaction to it? Is it just one of life’s little disappointments? Or is it much much more?
What is fair? What does it feel like? How do we teach fairness?
What if we said – “Life is not fair nor equitable so what can or should we do about it?
I remember the “equity vs equality”workshops I attended in my educator days. Examples of historical injustices were difficult topics to explore let alone acknowledge. There were such interesting yet challenging debates across the room.
“We are not responsible for the bad decisions and atrocious actions of our ancestors” was regularly heard as attendees grappled with the harsh truths they were hearing.
And yet, aren’t we all both beneficiaries and victims of those past societal wrongs? We live in societies formed for mutual support and protection. Whatever happened to that?? Whatever happened to taking individual responsibility for the benefit of community?
Should we still be enjoying the privileges that came to us because of the colour of our skin or the geographical location of our birthplace? Shouldn’t we have evolved to be better than those that went before? We have better education and more knowledge these days.
History could teach us lessons if only we are prepared to suspend judgement and learn from the lessons of the past.If individuals would take some self responsibility. Would that help?
Social justice should mean that some need, and get, more equitable opportunities than others. Yet still, all peoples are not equal.
What can be done to acknowledge and rectify the wrongs of social injustice and unfairness?
Do we start by teaching the children – or do we need to unlearn our own prejudices first?
QUOTE: Children learn what they live. If a child lives with criticism... they learn to condemn. If they live with hostility…they learn to fight. If they live with ridicule… they learn to be shy. If they live with shame...they learn to be guilty. If they live with tolerance... they learn confidence. If they live with praise... they learn to appreciate. If they live with fairness... they learn about justice Dorothy Nolte
LightWriteLife 
Liana, this is a lovely, thought-provoking post. As an educator, you have had some similar training to mine. I think this paragraph is a hard one for those of us who have enjoyed those privileges to admit, but wouldn’t it make a big difference in the world?
“And yet, aren’t we all both beneficiaries and victims of those past societal wrongs? We live in societies formed for mutual support and protection. Whatever happened to that?? Whatever happened to taking individual responsibility for the benefit of community?”
We ALL experience both the benefits and the consequences of our past in our current society structure. Even the native American society, which we nearly killed off could never have survived had their numbers reached the numbers of people we have living in the same space of land we occupy today.
Thank you for taking the time to find a quote and writing this response to #WQWWC. 🙂
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Wow. Thank you for your kind comments. It does sound like we have similar life experiences – and thoughts. I’m forever hopeful that fairness will prevail eventually.
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Yes, we can work for that every day.
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