Let’s try a definition since simple logic hasn’t gotten any traction:
equate verb
: to say or think that (two things) are equal or the same
equat·edequat·ing
Full Definition of EQUATE
transitive verb
1
a : to make equal : equalize
b : to make such an allowance or correction in as will reduce to a common standard or obtain a correct result
2
: to treat, represent, or regard as equal, equivalent, or comparable
Now only someone with a complete inability to understand the term ‘equal’ would say I equated the two because they are both crimes. There is a wide span of crimes in terms of severity and harm caused. Jaywalking is a crime also, but to think that anyone would equate it with murder by calling it a crime is utterly daft.
A stubbed toe in an injury. So is a sucking chest wound from a .44 magnum. Nonetheless I have not equated them.
Go back up and read that definition a few times. Equate does not mean compare or classify in a like way. To equate the two items must be equal. (funny how that root word gets involved and all)
“b: to make such an allowance or correction in as will reduce to a common standard or obtain a correct result”
It’s right there in the definition you provided.
From my previous post:
In mathematics, yes. In linguistics, not as precise as that. Equating one thing to another in the way we communicate is used more broadly to categorize, analogize or classify things or ideas through comparison. Equating lower taxes with higher revenue or equating higher spending with better results, for example.
I realize it’s kind of a trivial thing to argue over, but I tend to equate arguing over technicalities with amusement.