[Blog Action Day] Inequality

This year's Blog Action Day topic is Inequality, which feels like one of the bigger topics that this little blogging "event" is trying to tackle. There are quite a number of different forms of inequality out there that continue to plague the global society at large.

In many ways, I feel that a lot of our issues related to inequality largely stem from the decision to put your own needs before all others and the willingness to embrace different labels, categories and stereotypes that enable one to see themselves in a more positive light versus others outside your own group or segment.

Income Inequality - is an economic reality that shows government policies do not fully support sufficient job creation and instead focus on niche interests of controlling powers and groups. It means that we remain primarily focused on making ends meet and are unable to reach out to others and find ways to help uplift them from their bleaker economic realities. This is not necessarily a call for increased government welfare programs or donation drives but instead a more intelligent look at our employment issues and to determine more effective strategies for dealing with poverty and unfair business practices that favor the rich.

Gender Inequality - this now has many aspects ranging from the earlier women's empowerment movement and of course the LGBT rights movement as well. Recent events remind us how women are not safe on the internet and abuse and harassment remain far too common. LGBT rights are still in dispute throughout the world ranging from those simply fighting for their legal right to be recognized to more "advanced" battles related to same-sex marriage. And again we continue to see the need to limit people into "acceptable" stereotypes and other definitions of "normal" behavior as a basis for hate speech, discrimination and other challenges of inequality.

Change begins with each of us thinking beyond ourselves and learning to truly keep an open mind. Defeating inequality starts with giving up assumptions and preconceptions about other people and trying to find mutual ground in order to work together to find solutions to our problems. Discrimination and unfair treatment won't go away until we learn to see people as precisely that - people. We are more than our assertions and biases.