Gentle reader, I am coming to you today with a question. It may seem like a simple one, but really, it is multilayered and will require you to be patient with me. So, here goes: Do you believe in equality?

What was your gut response? Yes? No? Maybe? Sometimes?

Now, peel back the layers of your response. Why?

If you believe in equality, do you believe in equality all the time? Are there exceptions? If so, what are they? Can the exceptions change? If so, what causes the change?

If you do not believe in equality, why not? What does equality mean to you in terms of access or outcome? Can people become “equal”? Will there always be inequality? If so, why?

For you “maybe” and “sometimes” folks, what is the formula you are using to determine your belief in equality? Do you always include yourself in the pool of people you consider more than or less than equal?

I ask you these difficult questions because I am curious why we resist. Let me share a few examples.

The state of Georgia recently passed a voting law that has resulted in much contention. Those leading its passage argue the new law will expand voting rights. It will require a minimum number of drop boxes for votes; add an additional day of early voting in most rural counties; require polls to be open for a minimum of eight hours a day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and increase resources for precincts so lines do not exceed an hour.

Those challenging the new voting law point to it as the rebirth of Jim Crow segregation. They note the law narrows the time for voters to request mail-in ballots; only sends mail-in ballots to those who request them, rather than all registered voters; increases voter ID requirements; limits the number of ballot drop boxes; shortens the voting window in runoff elections; increases the power of state lawmakers over county and local elections rather than having the Secretary of State (an elected position) lead the nonpartisan process; and finally, includes a ban on handing out food and water within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter.

Now, if we as a country have decided that an individual can vote, shouldn’t we do everything in our power to make voting accessible?

It would seem to me that by making our voting access and practice more inclusive we would do a better job of serving the will of the people. I think that it would also encourage more people to participate — and not just in voting, but in running for office, in engaging in civil dialog and in building community.

I believe in equality. People are equal. We share a common humanity. Full stop.

If you are a registered voter, you should be able to show up at my polling place to vote, and if you cannot make it in person, you should be able to mail-in your ballot. You should have access to drop boxes to submit your vote if you’d like to skip the post office. If you arrive at the polls and there is a line — which has been known to happen — you should have access to water. In other words, your voice, your vote should be heard, and we should do everything we can to make sure it is included and counted.

Another question, why are polling locations limited? Rural populations often struggle to have their voices heard because of access limits — especially in the American south. Why don’t we seek to increase those opportunities rather than limit them?

If we know that access to food and water is an issue in voting, why are we not making accommodations? At a minimum, we ought to require access to potable water at all polling stations. This should be a matter of practice, not a matter of choice, for local polling locations to determine on their own.

What makes us create obstacles to voting? Why do we want some people to vote, yet create barriers for others? If we share a common humanity, ought our vote serve as a demonstration of that truth? While the words of the Constitution remain the same, their meaning has changed. If all men are created equal, and we agree that all men now means all people, inclusive of race, ethnicity and gender, then shouldn’t we follow up those words with action?

As you think about action, please join us for this month’s Holocaust Remembrance keynote, Ruth Kapp Hartz, Holocaust survivor on Thursday, April 8, at 6 p.m. This online presentation is free and open to the public. When we know better we do better.