What is the Equity that Kamala Harris is talking about?

By

Dan Perkins

On Sept 29, vice president United States Kamala Harris spoke at the Groundbreaking Women’s Leadership Conference at the White House. She was asked a question about Hurricane Ian relief, “Kamala on Hurricane Ian relief: The Biden administration will focus on ‘giving resources based on equity’ by directing funds to ‘communities of color first.”

As typically happens when either President Biden or Vice-president Harris makes a gaff, somebody for the White House has to walk it back. The FEMA administrator and the White House press secretary said hurricane aid would be distributed based on need and help everyone who needs it(Factcheck.org Oct 3).

Harris used a word I have heard in many other issues: Equity. Every time I heard it used, it didn’t seem to be the right word, but Democrats keep using the word Equity in this case; equating Equity to FEMA hurricane response made no sense.

The University of the People defines Equity as “dealing fairly and equally with all concerned.” They say: “The goal of Equity is to help achieve fairness in treatment and outcomes, and it’s a way in which Equality is achieved.” They use the example of Equity, “For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was written so that people with disabilities are ensured equal access to public places. For instance, it means that public restrooms need ramps so people in wheelchairs can enter.

They made a crucial point: It requires considering the different circumstances from which someone enters a situation to achieve Equality. That’s because every individual is inherently different. So, regarding fairness and setting up children for success, varying needs must be considered.”

Let me try a different example by asking you a question in all of your life which way did you learn better and faster auditory own visual? Would you have turned it out differently if your teacher only used a visual teaching method? Were you discriminated against because your teachers didn’t use the teaching the best method for you to learn? Equity and Equality are not equal statements, and some social scientists believe Equality depends on Equity. To be able to make something the same for everyone, it first requires “leveling the playing field.”

Some on the left preach that Equity is the idea of “leveling the playing field.” That fairness should happen along the path to success for everyone. Equality treats everyone equally without paying attention to the natural differences between people of different races, sexes, social classes, and more.

The very things that Equity believers want us to ignore are the natural differences between people of different races, sexes, social classes, and more. These are the things that make us individuals that are unique as human beings.

I have thought more about the use of Equity, and I find the actions of some black leaders actually going in the opposite direction. If Equity means inclusion, why do college students want separate dorms, meals, and coursework away for whites and other minorities?

Look at what the woke leaders are trying to do with Title 9. The proposed new rules call for: The regulations will require that all students receive appropriate support in accessing all aspects of education. They will strengthen protections for LGBTQI+ students who face discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And they will require that school procedures for complaints of sex discrimination, including sexual violence and other sex-based harassment, are fair to all involved. The proposed regulations also reaffirm the Department’s core commitment to fundamental fairness for all parties, respect for freedom of speech and academic freedom, respect for complainants’ autonomy, and transparent legal obligations that enable robust enforcement of Title IX.

Attorney General John O’Connor and a coalition of 26 state attorneys general are calling on President Joe Biden to withdraw the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new guidance on sex discrimination for schools and programs that receive federal nutritional assistance. They say the recent guidance from the USDA imposes new — and unlawful — regulatory measures on state agencies and operators receiving federal financial aid from the USDA.

On May 5, 2022, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced it would expand its interpretation of the prohibition on sex discrimination found in Title IX to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

As a result, any state, local agency, or program that receives federal funds through The Food and Nutrition Act and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) -administered by the USDA- must, in theory, comply with this unlawful application of Bostock v. Clayton County and Title IX, or lose federal funding. Children, and perhaps minority children, will be deprived of food because their schools do not comply with the administration’s wishes.

Some believe that since Title 9 was passed by Congress, only Congress can amend the existing law, and they believe that the President does not have the power to amend it. We will likely see more challenges to the Biden Administration’s action on these amendments.

These proposed additions to Title 9 represent the Biden Administration abandoning the Constitution and the rule of law to decide that they can do whatever they want. They are above the law, and only they can make the decision as to what to do. The administration has already proven that it will not do what the court orders. The COVID-19 mandates from the CDC were ruled unconstitutional, and they ignored the court and enforced them anyway.

Equity is the wrong word, and we should consider different words like Fairness or Equality.

Dan Perkins is a nationally syndicated radio and TV talk show host and owner of the Blacks and Whites network. He is the published author of 8 books and appears on nationally syndicated radio and TV shows. His website danperkins.GURU is an excellent source of all things Dan Perkins. His latest show is Dan after dark, which airs Wednesday at 12:30 AM on the blacksandwhites.us network.