Equality = Equalness?

The cry for equality sounds loudly and clearly from both sides of the aisle right now.

"The claim to equality, outside the strictly political field, is made only by those who feel themselves to be in some way inferior."

--The Screwtape Letters

 Equality under the law has one meaning, Constitutionally-derived. Equalness has a very different connotation. Equalness is used here as the antithesis of Equality. They are two very different terms.
Equalness draws its power from the illegitimate use of the word "fairness". If one person claims that something is not fair, than it must not be equal. Fairness is unfortunately a subjective term. Equalness results from fairness. Fairness in the current political dialogue means equality in outcome, which cannot be legislated, forced or adjudicated.
If one person has more through his own industry and thrift, should he be required under the law to give up the fruits of his labors that the slothful should have an equal amount? Such is not fair from the perspective of the laborer. But if the laborer has more than the slothful, he who has not worked esteems that discrepancy as unfair. This cannot be resolved adequately between the two of them. There are two directly opposing philosophies that cannot be reconciled. It requires a third entity to step in as a mediator.
That mediator is the Law. Equality under the law means that all men are judged the same way under the same law. No preference is given based on the standard criteria by which we define ourselves. A worker is entitled to the rights of property, privacy, expression, petition for redress of grievances, and so forth. A person who takes of the laborer's earnings is judged as a thief. They are dealt with under the constraints of the Law.
The government has as its sole responsibility the protection of the rights of the people under the Law. The specifics are laid out in the Constitution of the United States of America. No government, at any level, whether public, private, institutionalized or religious, should ever be in the business of making people feel good about themselves. Governments are instituted to enforce laws, statutes and guidelines. They are to protect those they serve, they are not entities unto themselves.
To draw this full circle back to the quote by CS Lewis, "The claim to equality ... is made only by those who feel themselves to be in some way inferior." Let's look at the stars. Some are brighter than others. Why? There are several possible explanations for this difference in brightness.

• One star is farther away than another.
• One star is larger than another.
• One star is actually brighter than another.

Much of the brightness depends on the perspective of the viewer. The man who mops floors may be overlooked by the executives and the white collars that drive the business. This same man who works all day may receive honor, praise and thanks when he comes home to his family. A child may think his father a hero, no matter if he mops floors, shuffles papers, or seals deals. 

So apparent difference in brightness may be imagined through differences in perspective, or it may be accurate. What's wrong with a person being superior to another? The moral trap enters when one assumes that they are destined to superiority. 

Just as the man with the mop may be promoted, so too the CEO may be fired. We are all in a constant flow up, down, sideways. Some days I may be equal to you, other days you may be superior to me. We look to heroes as being greater than ourselves. That superiority of our heroes gives us attributes to strive to obtain in ourselves. The inferiority of others gives us opportunity to lend a hand, teach, share and lift.

Equality does not equal Equalness. The Utopian ideal of equality in possessions, knowledge, wisdom and power does not exist in this world. The closest that we can get is a free-market system with limited government regulation to protect the rights of the people. In this system, the worker gets what he earns. The marketplace of his peers decide through the power of their purchases if the product/service/idea is of worth. Worthwhile ideas find success. Poor ideas do not find success but failure.

The freedom and liberty we strive for engenders equality, which is equal parts success and failure. Some days you win, and some days you lose. When you lose, you work harder the next day, and you get what you earn. You keep what you earn. That is fairness. That is equality. That is liberty.

Purity = Strength

 Excellence in character is a rare trait in public lives today. When a man decides who he is and lives that life, there is an honor that cannot be feigned.
We can look to Alfred Lord Tennyson's retelling of the Arthurian Legend in Idylls of The King for an example: Sir Galahad, the Pure.

"My good blade carves the casques of men,
   My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
   Because my heart is pure."   

(http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/Galahad.htm)

  It is when men try to disguise who they are that trust is eroded. There may be something slightly off with that person that we may sense. We might not be able to identify what is wrong, but most people can tell when someone is not being true to themselves or to others. A pure heart lights the countenance of the person. Light drives away darkness.
We prepare ourselves now for another election cycle. Who do we see on the screens and hear on the radios? Are they honorable, or are they what CS Lewis referred to as "little men"? That is up to the individual to educate themselves and decide.

 "Democracy demands that little men should not take big ones too seriously; it dies when it is full of little men who think they are big themselves."

--'Notes on the Way' Time and Tide

Sir Galahad demanded of himself purity. He knew that his strength came from the disciplined rejection of the morally degrading thoughts, actions and patterns of living that tore down other men of his time.
Do we demand purity of ourselves? Of our families? Our compatriots? Our elected officials?
As we demand purity of ourselves, we improve in clarity of thought, insight and knowledge. If our eyes are on the right things, our lives will fill with light. Light is truth. Light rejects darkness. By being the people that we would desire at our head, we wordlessly require those around us to live up to the same standards. A good man can improve his neighborhood just by living true. Likewise, a bad man can degrade a neighborhood if his neighbors do not watch themselves. But you notice that a bad man does not stay long in a good neighborhood. Darkness does not long stay in the light.
Let us then be as Galahad. He knew that his heart was pure, and he was stronger for it.
A strong government is one that recognizes its strength is derived from the consent of the governed. The biggest man is he that will not demean the little man for being little. All have their place. As we elect honest people of integrity, no matter their political persuasion, the dialogue will improve, and the system of government can and will purify itself.

More CS Lewis quotes - http://www.comnett.net/~rex/cslewis.htm