In speaking of equality and its true meaning, Patricia Williams takes the term equality and puts it into three levels of understanding and interpretation. The first level involves the literal and direct meaning of equality. If we take equality for its literal translation, then it justifiably means that everything and everyone shares this sense of balance and equality. Given this literal meaning, the term equality has no room for interpretation. Therefore, the Constitution, the "machinery" …showed first 75 words of 338 total…

…showed last 75 words of 338 total…characteristics of being "good" and "deserving" and "safe." And even though these interpretations may be unconsciously made, it puts people into categories. This categorization of people is exactly what determines who is the receiver of rights and equality. So then who is to say that the Constitution provides equality for each and every individual? Do the Bill of Rights really provide everyone their basic, essential rights? By the three levels of understanding, they probably don't.