It's easy to shout it from the rooftop or the timeline of a social media platform, but it's another thing to understand what "equality" really is.

The truth is, there shouldn't be fair treatment because there has never been fair treatment. Such a large percentage of the opportunities in this country, or this world, are being seized by a shrinking percentage of the population: the privileged.

I'm not just talking about race, I'm also talking about gender and education status.

In an ideal world, no regulations or restrictions would be set on who is able to do what job or get accepted to a particular school. When most people say they want "equality", that means equal hiring opportunities and equal treatment.

But this isn't true equality.

Individuals from all different backgrounds, genders, and races have different, or no, access to education, making their position in society an inherently unfair one. As I wrote about in my article about unpaid internships, positions that choose the "best candidate" are really only considering a particular demographic of applicants due to their access to education.

I'll leave it to you to take a wild guess what that demographic would be.

The truth is, the only way to be fair is to be rooting for equity, not equality. In order to start bridging the gap created by unfair education access, there needs to be positions that are bound to be filled by individuals who aren't as qualified. We need to give resources to those who don't have them without feeling the need to provide the same to those who already do.

But that's where the problem is.

It's easy to shout it from the rooftop, but when the possibility exists that some may miss out on a school or a job just because they're not a certain race or come from a certain background, you'll find that a lot of people suddenly become...quiet. There's a reason for that, and it's actually quite a simple one.

Again, it's called privilege.

Throughout the lives of some, they have been raised under the belief that they will get every opportunity in this world to achieve success. Typically, this is due to a higher quality of education and a strong support system. These are the individuals that go into the college or job application process under the assumption that they are likely to get in because of where they come from.

But there are also those who are not raised that way. Those who are told, either in words or by looks and trends around them, that their education or their background will hold them back rather than propel them forward.

These are the individuals who go into the college or job application process under the assumption that they are unlikely to get in because of where they come from.

The only way to make that opportunity fair is to have spots for people with different backgrounds. That's not an opinion.

But the individual in the first example will say that's unfair. Why do those with fewer qualifications get positions that someone else may be better suited for? Why should some positions be held for others and not them? They're asking this question because they are privileged.

It's not a good thing or a bad thing. It's no one's fault. They've never had to have a spot held for them because they've always had a spot.

So, to those people, when you hear about things like affirmative action or programs that have to hire a certain percentage of women, I have this to say to you.

Instead of looking at what few opportunities you now don't have, look at the ones you do. Look at all the places that have been looking for the most qualified people, all the experiences you have had because you knew someone, and the education you received because you could.

Closing those few doors so other people could take them isn't going to hinder your progress because there are so many other doors available to you. For others, that may be the only opportunity they have.

So, rather than complain about the few opportunities you're missing out on, focus on all the others you still have access to.

One day, many years in the future, things will become evener. Individuals from different backgrounds, races, and genders will hold positions of every rank. Education from pre-school to senior year of high school will be more standardized. Maybe even the wage gap lessens.

Then, and only then, can things be made truly equal.