(an excerpt)
Welcome to the doctor's office. Doctor Fairness is in and will see you now. And good news: Doctor Fairness treats all his patients alike. Appendectomies, that's it. Everybody gets appendectomies. Got a broken leg? Appendectomy. Pneumonia? Appendectomy. Nearsighted? It's an appendectomy for you. Got to treat everybody fairly, you know... Give everybody what they need, and you'd have to treat every individual individually! We don't treat what you need; you get what we offer. When you wake up, you'll be in the recovery room with the 27 other patients, and you can all receive your post-appendectomy treatments in unison. Won't that be fun? Next...
The full text is lengthy and is about gifted children and a mind-boggling statement some people say about them, "All children are gifted." But I thought this part quite amusing and demonstrative of how I feel about several things, such as handing out "participation trophies" and education as well. I remember quite vividly hearing a new definition of fairness in one of my education classes at BYU: Fairness doesn't mean everyone gets the same thing, it means everyone gets what they need.
What are your thoughts on the subject?
3 years ago
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2 comments:
In my classes we teach the difference between "equality" and "equity." Equality means everyone gets the same thing. Equity means everyone gets what they need. Equity might even mean some people get more than others.
It is not fair if we are being treated for something we do not need,deserve,have or lack. I had to laugh with the excerpt you included. Oh how we would all hate to be treated "fair"...I think equal is what they are referring to here. And I see equal and fair as two different things.
I agree with the BYU-defintion you gave on Fairness. This all made me think of Our Father in Heaven and his plan for us. What a perfect plan/example of how we should treat others and live. Equal-in one purpose and mind, Just(Fair)and then merciful(but that is another discussion) with each individual case or person. Thank goodness it is not one or the other. :) As a parent and or teacher we sure have to look at each child individually what works for one may not work for another in teaching and discipline.
Thanks for the words and questions makes me thankful for individuality and equality.
Hope I made some sense my kids came in and are all talking to me at once :)
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