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What is your definition of equal opportunity?

What is your definition of equal opportunity? (Select all that apply)

  • 1.) Everyone is afforded the same wealth at birth.

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • 2.) Everyone is afforded the same quality of education (including college).

    Votes: 7 38.9%

  • 3.) Everyone is afforded the same education, but not necessarily the same quality of education

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • 4.) Everyone is afforded the same opportunity to find work based on his or her merit

    Votes: 15 83.3%

  • 5.) Everyone is afforded the opportunity to find work (based on merit or not)

    Votes: 4 22.2%

  • 6.) Everyone has the same wealth at the end of every day

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    18
M

MusicAdventurer

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Many people talk about equal opportunity, but sometimes it seems that not everyone agrees as to what “equal opportunity” means. This post is an attempt to clear up this matter and allow people to express what equal opportunity means
 
There was a time that I was the guy in the top seat and under my control I hired not only the companies first woman into a traditionally held mans position, but I hired a woman who was clearly a lesbian way before most accepted it as a normal way of life.

My concern was all about productivity not race color or creed. Back in those days I had to fill out a form every month showing that I was keeping up with the anti-discrimination laws.

I was pissed and wrote a letter saying the guidelines, because what I needed to comply was an Eskimo Female with Spanish surname, and if they know where to look for such a person I will go there and hire them on the spot.

A few months later I was allowed to forgo the forms and was even promoted
 
I picked 2 and 4. Although with 2 I don't agree with the statement in terms of college. Not everyone should go to college. For some people it's a big waste of time and money.

Other than that, everyone should be afforded the same quality of education (or as close to it as we are able to come) and everyone should have the same opportunity to find a job based on their merit.
 
None of the above. I am having a hard time articulating my thoughts on this, so bear with me. Equal opportunity is something that cannot be achieved outside of communism/socialism, and since both of those are unstable and ineffective, not really at all. What we should therefore try is to ensure as best we can that people have the opportunity to use and develop what skills they have. All schools cannot be equal, nor should they be. However, there should be a minimum that all public schools maintain, and if some one is advancing past what they can get from that school, there should be ways to get into a better one(ie financial aid and similar assistance).

Equal wealth is not something that can be done, period.

Employment is and should be up to employers, with the exception involving blatant discrimination against equally qualified candidates.
 
MusicAdventurer said:
Many people talk about equal opportunity, but sometimes it seems that not everyone agrees as to what “equal opportunity” means. This post is an attempt to clear up this matter and allow people to express what equal opportunity means
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Of the answers provided, number 4 applies.
 
I selected #3 & #5. In my mind it's only about the OPPORTUNITY. It's not about the Quality, Quantity, or Results of those opportunities. It says we must provide Public Education.... It doesn't mandate a quality for that education. In fact, equalizing that education is impossible because of all the factors involved. Likewise, we need to offer the opportunity for people to achieve gainful employment.... so long as they have acquired the skills, talents, and abilities to do so.
 
I'm going with #4. Obviously school is important, but I think I'm missing something. I look at Equal Opportunity more as an Employment issue. I guess I should have applied it to school as well. Our tax dollars support our public schools, federal law states children are to attend public schools regardless of race, religion or creed.

Federal law basically says the same thing as far as employment is concerned. However, I think parts of EOE need to be updated or redefined. Discrimination is a blight on society, but I feel that EOE has some blame in helping to inadvertently promote discrimination (over the last couple of decades).

I think the potential employee should be hired based on their credentials, experience, and ability. I despise the idea of throwing out a resume because I have to check a box for the Government and the candidate for the job doesn't fit into that framework.
 
Chenoa said:
I think the potential employee should be hired based on their credentials, experience, and ability. I despise the idea of throwing out a resume because I have to check a box for the Government and the candidate for the job doesn't fit into that framework.
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I've been on the bottom end of that equation thrice in my life. THAT ticked me off... "We can't hire YOU (the more qualified candidate) because we have to fill a minority hiring slot with this position." Twice these were DOD contractors and the third was among the largest fire departments in the State of Connecticut (it was an office position, not a firefighting position). In THAT case, they had to re-hire candidates twice in the first year because they couldn't find a minority candidate capable of doing the job. After that, they de-funded the project and just got rid of the position entirely.
 
MusicAdventurer said:
Many people talk about equal opportunity, but sometimes it seems that not everyone agrees as to what “equal opportunity” means. This post is an attempt to clear up this matter and allow people to express what equal opportunity means
Click to expand...

Everyone should have the same quality of education (not necessarily including college). By quality of education I do not mean that every grade school and high school should be the exact same around the country. I mean that each school should adequately address the needs of it's students. For example, in a lower-income environment, a school would likely need more tutors in order to deal with the learning barriers kids bring in from not having the same at-home help as kids from higher-income neighborhoods have.

Everyone should have the same opportunity to find work based on merit.
 
None. I don't believe in equal opportunity. I think everyone should be allowed to have most of the same things, but not the same degree of difficulty. I think a kid living in the projects should have the ability to get into Harvard. I also think it should be incredibly difficult to do so.

The phrase itself is evil, because it hinders society's ability to give chances to all. It's a power grab, and an excuse to whine when you don't get what you want, or it's not placed on a silver platter in front of you.
 
Merit was the keyword here. Merit can get you more or less so it is valid qualifier. If you want more, you need to merit more. If you don't want more, merit less. IQ is not necessarily a more or less qualifier as production might be more meritorious. It'd be tough on people like GWSuffForBrains who'd be cleaning a toilet one day every four months when he wasn't on vacation. Maybe he could be taught to lick his balls (golf balls?).
 
Gipper said:
None. I don't believe in equal opportunity. I think everyone should be allowed to have most of the same things, but not the same degree of difficulty. I think a kid living in the projects should have the ability to get into Harvard. I also think it should be incredibly difficult to do so.

The phrase itself is evil, because it hinders society's ability to give chances to all. It's a power grab, and an excuse to whine when you don't get what you want, or it's not placed on a silver platter in front of you.
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So you prefer rigging a race buy putting runners out farther down the track?

I wonder .. would such behavior be accepted in the Olympic races?

I am baffled at how many people to not agree with equal opportunity in its truest sense, i.e. the spirit of the idea, the idea that every has equal opportunity to succeed. I think maybe a few people posted something close to equal opportunity - but the rest of you .. seriously? .. I expected better
 
Gipper said:
I think a kid living in the projects should have the ability to get into Harvard. I also think it should be incredibly difficult to do so.
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Why? Why should it be more difficult for someone to get into a good school solely because of his financial situation? It makes no sense. Why make things extremely easy for a dunce with alot of money and "incredibly difficult" for an impoverished genius? Isn't this counterproductive?
 
Bardo said:
Why? Why should it be more difficult for someone to get into a good school solely because of his financial situation? It makes no sense. Why make things extremely easy for a dunce with alot of money and "incredibly difficult" for an impoverished genius? Isn't this counterproductive?
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Well said .. we want our best at the forefront - inherited wealth and lots of time to barely pass classes in college should not be a qualifier for the people at our countries forefront - this goes against the theory of Capitalism which some people hold so dear to their heart
 
Everyone should be entitled to a decent K-12 education, the opportunity to pursue higher education at an affordable price if they want to, and a social safety net that will help people with basic life necessities if necessary (e.g. food, health care, housing).

Sadly, the United States doesn't do a very good job with any of these things. :(
 
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