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When I first thought about America being equal, i thought we were some what equal but not yet. For my reasons I think we are equal but not everyone is necessarily treated equally by each other.

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Editor's Note: Rabbi Shai Held, a leading Jewish theologian and educator, is co-founder and dean of the Hadar Institute and the author of " Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

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From its founding, the United States professed that "all men are created equal," and from its founding, it made a mockery of this core value. People of color were treated as chattel, derided as "savages" and enslaved and degraded at every turn. It is one of the tragic ironies of human history: We don't usually oppress those we see as fully human. So first we dehumanize, and then we feel licensed to oppress.

The United States has undeniably made progress, but we have also gotten profoundly stuck. Many of us dreamed that the election of an African-American president would usher in a new era, one in which the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many others would finally be fulfilled. Yet bigoted demagogues insisted, against all evidence to the contrary, that our first black president simply couldn't be a real American. The loudest and most repugnant of them is now the Republican nominee for president. Sadly, electing a black man unleashed America's racial subconscious like nothing else could, and what we are now witnessing is ugly, frightening and frankly devastating.

But leave the president aside. The bodies of African-American men keep piling up, killed by police officers for nothing, it seems, besides being black. White America has made progress since the days of slavery, but it has not yet come to see, feel and believe that all human beings (not just men) are created equal, and that black people are no less human than white people.

If you're white and you don't believe that white privilege is real, talk to an African-American parent about "the conversation," in which they teach their children to be cautious and tentative around officers of the law.

And if you don't believe that white privilege is real, you aren't looking hard enough. I had an experience not long ago that is seared into my consciousness. I participated in a nonviolent protest on the Upper West Side of Manhattan after a group of New York City police officers had killed Eric Garner. As he was about to arrest me, a police officer looked at the prayer shawl I was wearing and gingerly asked, "Sir, is it OK if I touch this?" I almost broke into tears. The contrast between the treatment I, a well-connected white man, received, and the treatment Eric Garner, a poor African-American man, received, has haunted me every day since.

There are concrete issues to address about police brutality and accountability. But there is also a much more fundamental issue to confront: do white Americans really believe that African-American people matter, and matter just as much as they do?

I'm a rabbi, and in moments like this I turn to the Bible for guidance and inspiration. Over the past few days, I've been unable to stop thinking about this: In the first chapter of Genesis, as God proceeds through the work of creation, the Bible repeatedly draws our attention to the dazzling variety of what God makes. Genesis 1 reads like a hymn to biodiversity: God does not just create vegetation, God creates vegetation "of every kind"; God does not just create animals, God creates animals "of every kind." Similarly with sea creatures, birds and beasts, the Bible seems to revel in the breathtaking multifariousness of God's creation. As we progress through the chapter, we come to expect that everything God brings into existence will be created in stunning and multi-colored diversity.

But then comes the creation of the human being, and suddenly we hear nothing at all about diversity. The omission is striking - the Bible is suggesting that in contrast to vegetation and the (rest of the) animal kingdom, there simply are no kinds of human beings. We are all descended from Adam, the ancestor to us all. Only after we establish that fact, can we safely, responsibly, go on to celebrate and defend human diversity.

Jews don't just read the Bible, though; we also read our traditional commentators. One of the most startling comments in the history of Judaism is that of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, who observes that in the eyes of God, there is ultimately no distinction between "those who oppress" and "those who witness the oppression and keep silent." This is haunting, and daunting, but more importantly, it is intensely demanding. In a society where some are oppressed, all are implicated.

We are all implicated in deeper ways as well. As American citizens, we do not have the privilege of standing outside and asking whether or not we should get involved. The police in this country work for us, for all of us - they often do wonderful, courageous and exemplary work - and their actions thus involve and implicate us. Just as we celebrate the enormous good that they do, we are ashamed when their behavior is far less than exemplary.

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Ibn Ezra's question, then, ought to be ours: As human dignity is trodden and trampled upon again and again (and again), what will we do? We have the psychological ability to turn away, but we have the moral obligation to respond and take action.

All human beings are created equal, but we are not treated equally. As the Bible reminds us, there is no "we" and "they" here; there is only humanity. We are all involved, and we are all implicated. The only question is whether and when we will all respond. The hour is late, the time is now.

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All are equal, but not all are treated equally | CNN

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Editor's Note: Rabbi Shai Held, a leading Jewish theologian and educator, is co-founder and dean of the Hadar Institute and the author of " Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

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I learned that over the past years that, America has progressed more over time to be more equal to each other. using laws and rights to protect people. For example women are still having trouble with getting the same amount of money as men do for working.

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The gender pay gap varies substantially from state to state, due to factors such as:

The primary industries in the state and the opportunities they create

Demographics such as race/ethnicity, age, and education level

Regional differences in attitudes and beliefs about work and gender

Differences in the scope and strength of state pay discrimination laws and policies

Explore Your State STATE WAGE GAP DATA
The gender pay gap occurs across almost all occupations and industries:

Male-dominated industries tend to have higher wages than industries and occupations made up mostly of female workers;

In a comparison of occupations with at least 50,000 men and 50,000 women in 2017, 107 out of 114 had statistically significant gaps in pay that favored men; six occupations had no significant gap; and just one had a gap favoring women.

In some occupations, women collectively are receiving billions less than they would with equal pay; for instance, women working as physicians and surgeons are paid $19 billion less annually than if they were paid the same as men in that occupation.

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The gender pay gap varies substantially from state to state, due to factors such as: The primary industries in the state and the opportunities they create Demographics such as race/ethnicity, age, and education level Regional differences in attitudes and beliefs about work and gender Differences in the scope and strength

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America is trying to get gender equality. They are also fighting for duties outside of their home in general to do more things.

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Social Media feeds are constantly filled with quotes on women's rights, protests with mobs of women, and an array of cleverly worded picket signs.

Good for them, standing up for their beliefs and opinions. Will I be joining my tight-knit family of the same gender?

Nope, no thank you.

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to be oblivious to my history and the advancements that women have fought to achieve. I am aware that the strides made by many women before me have provided us with voting rights, a voice, equality, and equal pay in the workforce.

SEE ALSO: To The Girl Who Would Rather Raise A Family Than A Feminist Protest Sign

For that, I am deeply thankful. But at this day in age, I know more female managers in the workforce than male. I know more women in business than men. I know more female students in STEM programs than male students. So what's with all the hype? We are girl bosses, we can run the world, we don't need to fight the system anymore.

Please stop.

Because it is insulting to the rest of us girls who are okay with being homemakers, wives, or stay-at-home moms. It's dividing our sisterhood, and it needs to stop.

All these protests and strong statements make us feel like now we HAVE to obtain a power position in our career. It's our rightful duty to our sisters. And if we do not, we are a disappointment to the gender and it makes us look weak.

Weak to the point where I feel ashamed to say to a friend "I want to be a stay at home mom someday." Then have them look at me like I must have been brain-washed by a man because that can be the only explanation. I'm tired of feeling belittled for being a traditionalist.

Why?

Because why should I feel bad for wanting to create a comfortable home for my future family, cooking for my husband, being a soccer mom, keeping my house tidy? Because honestly, I cannot wait.

I will have no problem taking my future husband's last name, and following his lead.

The Bible appoints men to be the head of a family, and for wives to submit to their husbands. (This can be interpreted in so many ways, so don't get your panties in a bunch at the word "submit"). God specifically made women to be gentle and caring, and we should not be afraid to embrace that. God created men to be leaders with the strength to carry the weight of a family.

However, in no way does this mean that the roles cannot be flipped. If you want to take on the responsibility, by all means, you go girl. But for me personally? I'm sensitive, I cry during horror movies, I'm afraid of basements and dark rooms. I, in no way, am strong enough to take on the tasks that men have been appointed to. And I'm okay with that.

So please, let me look forward to baking cookies for bake sales and driving a mom car.

And I'll support you in your endeavors and climb to the top of the corporate ladder. It doesn't matter what side you are on as long as we support each other, because we all need some girl power.

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A Call To Action For Gender Equality Everywhere

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We are currently in a period where gender equality is a hot topic. From Beyonce's VMA performance with the famous "FEMINIST" lights to Lena Dunham's ground breaking TV show "Girls", we are definitely experiencing a new empowerment for women everywhere. All across the country people are spreading awa...