Aselin

Years ago, as I returned from a shopping trip at Target, Unnamed Child #1 watched in horror as I unpacked my purchases. Among the packages of diapers, baby food and laundry soap I had picked up a few outfits for their then toddler younger siblings.

Poor Unnamed Child #1 could not fathom that there was nothing in the bags for them. In an all too human outburst, the words, "It's just not fair!" came screeching out.

After trying to explain the situation to my unjustly treated progeny, I finally sighed and said, "Do you want me to make it fair?"

"Yes!" They pouted.

"You have it pretty good right now." I reasoned

"But it's not FAIR!"

"OOOOkay..."

Unnamed Child #1 has come to know the look in my eye and the tone in my voice which tip off a 'learning moment'. They know to try and shut things down as quickly as possible when they see that look or hear that tone. This comes from years of experience.

Toting a few large garbage bags I went into the child's room and started making things "Fair".

"Wow, three pairs of shoes, your siblings don't have that! That's not 'Fair'. Underwear? They still wear diapers, that's not 'Fair'. Books? They can't read, this isn't 'Fair'. Special grown-up kid toys? They don't have these, that's not 'Fair'."

The garbage bags quickly filled with 'unfair' belongings as the child was completely freaking out.

But I wasn't done.

Looking around the room, I noted that the toddler siblings still slept in cribs. They didn't have a 'big bed'. Well, that's just not 'Fair' I exclaimed as I dragged the mattress out to the garage.

Dusting off my hands, I figured I had inflicted enough emotional damage for the day and exclaimed, "There, now that's 'Fair'!" and left the room. The stupefied kid sat on the floor of the remains of their once personal and special space sobbing hysterically.

The reality of life is that NOTHING is 'Fair'. Making things 'Fair' is not only unjust to those that have things others don't have, it also makes everything pretty stark.

Our president and his posse are very clear in their belief in 'Social Justice', in the redistribution of wealth and the responsibility of the government to make things fair. People, like one of the founders of Google, Sergei Brin, who has lived through the implementation of this concept, understand all to well the inherent problems with this idea. Right now, most Americans don't seem to get it.

Under "Fair" things don't get better. Ever.

To this day, when one of the younger kids in my family makes the statement: "That's not fair!" Their older, wiser sibling will yell out "STOOOOOP!!! YOU DON'T WANT FAIR!!" Lesson learned... by a six year old.

Why can't the rest of us get it?