The word “equity” has become a punchline. Conservatives recognize it as code for a specific political agenda that generally excludes them. Leftists recognize it as a signaling device to other leftists, to wrap their preferred policies in language associated with something that has historically been a positive word. Indeed, for centuries, courts have applied “equity” and equitable principles in order to achieve fair and just outcomes. But to the casual observer in 2023, the rote invocation of the word equity has become a cause for laughter and derision.
This is true even for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist. It seems he is now sheepish about using the term equity. On a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s show Real Time on HBO, the host asked Senator Sanders what the difference was between “equality” and “equity.” Sanders initially admitted that he didn’t know the answer to the question. However, once Maher explained the concepts and their differences, he asked Senator Sanders which idea he was more aligned with—equality (that is, of opportunity and application of the law), or equity (that is, whatever gets the results politicians want). Sanders, shockingly, said equality, not equity. When even Senator Sanders is jumping ship, you can tell the boat is sinking.
Politicians and Words
That equity has become a punchline shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Politicians turn ordinary words into catch-phrases all the time. Come on, man. Fake news. Bitter clingers. Even the non-word Covfefe is now in our political lexicon. The references are memorable because they strike a nerve with the public, and because they typify the men who used them. The words can become jokes in and of themselves when the public sees the humor, either through repetition or due to their absurdity.
For instance, in my home town of Denver, the myriad candidates running for mayor recently tried to answer what it means to “lead with equity,” as though such a concept was both obviously defined and unquestionably good. Some of the answers made it clear that while equity is a vague, catch-all category, it means, at a minimum, doing a lot of politically left-wing stuff. Providing government subsidies to illegally-present aliens? That’s equity. Offering government benefits to businesses based solely on the race of the owner? That counts as equity, too.
One candidate even said the quiet part out loud: “Equity means giving everybody what they need — exactly what they need when they need it.” Well, that is quite an expansive political platform. People need a lot of things, of course. But the candidates went even further. One even said, without irony, that it was important that he had “lived and breathed” equity. That would sound dangerous, were it not so laughable.
With this absurdity in plain view, people have started rolling their eyes when politicians invoke equity. Not literally everything can be about equity. Yet it seems to have taken the place of rational thought and debate. Even in school districts around the country, school board members and superintendents will talk about equity before they talk about learning, achievement, and preparation for successful careers.
The Absurdity of “Equity”
The word equity also carries with it heavy racial baggage. In one interview last year, Vice President Kamala Harris was asked about recovery efforts in Florida after Hurricane Ian. She responded by saying that the “lowest-income communities and our communities of color” were “the most impacted by extreme conditions.” And that meant that FEMA would be “giving resources based on equity.” Of course, it was a surprise to Floridians that the Vice President thought that the hurricane discriminated based on race. But the White House comically stood by Harris, saying that the comments were merely taken out of context. But what context could possibly have made her comments better?
President Biden is just as guilty about over-invoking equity. In February 2023, Biden announced yet another executive order on the topic of equity. Biden acknowledged that he had already issued a prior executive order on the topic, when he first came into office in January 2021. But that wasn’t good enough. Another order was apparently needed to finally achieve equity. Among numerous other provisions, the executive order insists that artificial intelligence systems must be developed only “in a manner that advances equity.” Because even robots can be racist now.
There’s an old phrase about how you can tell when a politician is lying—their lips are moving. When it comes to the word equity, it is a great indicator that you are being sold a platform of vague, statist, left-wing policies that potentially discriminate based on race. And the right response is not merely to object. It’s to laugh.