On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson signed the declaration of independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". A statue of him was removed from the New York City Hall on November 24, 2021.
Are we created equal before our Creator? One is born with a down syndrome and one of us becomes Albert Einstein. Do we need equal opportunities to live free and pursue happiness or we must have all elements of wealth, health and happiness equally.
When I arrived, I did not find rosy streets in the United States, paved with gold. My life was not easy. However, I found freedom and opportunities to make the most of my talents through hard working, ingenuity, hoping, and dreaming. I started my PhD at the University of Minnesota in 2008. Corey, an American graduate student, was in the next cubical. We both ended up being an academician based on the merit of our years of struggle for excellence.
Nature spawns us differently and diversely. Imagine a world in which we are all equal, all with the same race, color of skin and wealth -- such an unstable and boring equilibrium. It made me wonder if the current intellectual sphere that promotes equality of outcomes, with all its noble objectives, can pave the the streets of this country with gold! Milton Freedman in Free to Choose elucidates more on this topic with brevity and rigor. "Fair share for all is a modern slogan that has replaced Karl Mark's to each according to his need, from each according to his ability".