The issue of privilege is obviously divisive and I’d be interested in digging into it to see if it is a miscommunication or breakdown in the discussion or whether to identify and name it is implicitly divisive and the wrong way to address it. To state the obvious (which sometimes has to be done because on the internet...well...the internet), there are all kinds of privilege that don’t necessarily have anything to do with color). I was blessed to grow up with two loving parents, it only in my life but in my house (though this is unfortunately less common in black households). My family was blessed that we could make it work without my parents having to take a night job (extra shifts for my dad were common but not to the point I felt he wasn’t there). I was blessed to have breakfast in the mornings and a good meal at night. All of this meant I had the privilege to go to school feeling loved and well-nourished. I could focus on my actual schoolwork and at night I could get help if I needed it. This was an privilege not enjoyed by all my peers. I got ahead in some ways because of it. I was blessed with a solid IQ. Ultimately this grew into the privilege of being able to do even more in school and on my own because I had time some of my peers hd to commit to just trying to get certain concepts. My hard work aided by these advantages ultimately meant I got realy nice scholarships, which game me the absolute privilege of not having to take a job while in college other than my summers. That’s a huge privilege and one I took full advantage of to dedicate myself 18 hours a day to study or participation in student groups to become a better leader. Having the privilege to do that and do well in school realy aided me in having the type of resume to get into MIT. I absolutely by definition could not have had the job I have today had I not gone there or a similar university due to our recruiting rules and experienced hire rules. (In the end of this none of this necessarily means more success, money, etc. just because I would have this job doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have a better one. Or have taken a diifferent path with more stature, money, etc. I say it not to say I couldn’t be successful without it - he’ll i might have been more successful without it - but to sit with the idea of how and where aspects of my life have afforded me privileges along the way). My own God-given attributes and my family’s dedication gave me the privileges that no doubt aided my hard work to get me where I am. That’s just how it is. (In the above I likely mixed advantage and privilege at times, which I think are actually different. I tried to parse it out best I could but probably missed the mark at times). Others are more privileged in many ways than I was or am in my life. No doubt. So, is there frustration that we focus on white privilege, which basically means the privilege of not being burdened by certain race-based assumptions that can present impediments to our progress or acceptance in life - instead of other privileges like having a home with two parents or having 3 meals a day? We all accept without much debate that it is a privilege to grow up in a two-parent home and that it has advantages. Growing up, if you were blessed to have it, you, like me, probably couldn’t even begin to put a finger on how it was advantageous - but it still was. Programs like big brother big sisters builds on this to provide mentorship - or even recognizes having mother role models in addition to the parents is valuable. No one denies it is a privilege to have three nice meals a day. The advantages of such privilege are obvious. And free breakfast/lunch programs are aimed at trying to level this playing field to do what we can to make sure students are ready to learn. You might not support these programs, I don’t know. But we can all agree on the value of being nourished. But we seem to have a bigger problem with the idea of white privilege. Is that because we don’t believe it exists, because we are defensive due to how it is discussed, or what? I know that I enjoy certain privileges because I am white a white male - assumptions that aren’t made about me because I’m white or attention that is laid to me professionally because I’m a male. But, I’m not defensive about these or apologetic for them any more than I am than coming from a home with two parents that always made sure I had food to eat. But it is equally important for me to recognize these are privileges just the same that give me or have given me certain advantages. I need to be aware of that so I know where and how to work for my community. To serve, to return a blessing in some small or large way, etc. And finally this brings me to the last thoughts I wanted to express in this post. We as a society can’t try to fight privilege with judgement. Creating a narrative that if you are a white male and not a SJW then you must be a racist and misogynist. We can’t look at white people and see racists any more than looking at black people and seeing thiefs. I do believe white privilege is a real thing. But we’ll never understand what it is or how we work within that concept by approaching these discussions like we generally do today as a society.
It is semantic, and in this case, an important semantic. You say someone is privileged, we all automatically think rich, wealthy and had everything handed to you. It is a horrible loaded word and just causes people to get their necks bowed. White men, no matter their station in life, as long as they take advantage of everything in their life, have it easier to pull themselves out of poverty than a black person, or a native American, or whatever else. Next in line, and probably not far behind, I would argue are Oriental males. And I say "easier", not easy. It is damn hard no matter who you are to pull yourself out of poverty. And I do believe that rural whites are falling closer and closer to the bottom with other minorities. There is a lot of stigmas against bubba meth head food stamp guy wearing a MAGA hat. So it is semantic I nature, Imho.
Poor rural white guys have the same plight. There’s also something to be said about broken homes vs. two-parent households. Talking about “white privilege” is so damn divisive. Privilege makes the assumption that there is prosperity. At the end of the day, some intrinsic motivation and refusing to rely on a crutch will avail success. I don’t give a [uck fay] what color you may be.
I do agree that saying you live a privileged life and that you enjoy privileges in your life can mean both the same things and two very different things.
This gets back to what Norris was saying. I don’t actually think privilege actually means prosperous.
The problem with the term is words have meaning. Creating a term that is meant to be divisive or eye opening or whatever you come up with to excuse using a term that creates more tension than it alieves is that privilege has either been redefined or not redefined depending on its entymology to be a negative by those of the middle and lower classes in particular regardless of race. White privilege means to both whites and black folks I have spoken with about the term as just that, rich white guy who always gets what they want or has everything handed to them. No matter what the term white privilege is supposed to mean, that is what commoners believe it to mean. If that's exactly what it's supposed to mean (and the goalposts seem to move with some on here every time the term is challenged), those who believe in it and agree with it can kiss my grown up poor carrying my ass outside to shit behind a bush when the outhouse blew over then wash it with pan water because we didn't have running water outside of the sink in the kitchen or the spigot at the well.
I think the explanations have been pretty consistent. The continual argument seems to be that poor whites struggle, too, therefore the idea seems silly or damaging. But, the existence of the struggle isn't the meaning of the concept. The meaning refers to whether or not someone in the same situation as you, outhouse and lack of running water, but were black or female would face more or less obstacles than you. I think every available statistical resource we have in terms of measuring poverty and social outcomes, much less the ample anecdotal evidence, says yes. I also think many white people take this fact too personal, as if it were their fault when it's way beyond one person or even one generation of people.
The goalposts have been settled for a year or so, I'll agree. The problem is it's a divisive term that only a small percentage of people understand or will care to understand. Want to fix inequality? Don't start talking about it using a rallying cry that in common parlance disparages one group. It's use probably works at a decent percentage in small groups, but most folks will never be in one.
I do not give two shits what you think or accept. About anything or anyone. If you think that straight white males walk a beaten path and that minorities (of any kind, because let's face it, everything other than a straight white male is considered a minority now), that is fine by me, as I am not trying to change your mind. Just saying that in 34 years of life, I see zero differences between the path that straight white males have had to walk and everyone else. We all have problems and life hasn't been easy for anyone I have known. Black, white or whatever. It is the same set of problems for everyone, time and time again. The real victims of circumstance have nothing to do with race, religion or any of that. They are the poor. In America, your family income is the number one deciding factor in what kind of upbringing you will have.
Nobody is treated equally by everyone. That is life. Just because you like men doesn't exclude you from being shit on just like the rest of us.
Hey, you outed yourself by contradicting who gets to be heard in terms of personal stories. I don't think you are paying attention to the situations of other people or really seem to care to do so (Or even this argument), particularly if you think there's "zero" difference in the challenges faced by gay people. More than any of the groups we've discussed, straight people have the world set up for them. Like I said above, let me know of any, just one, of the problems straight people have specifically because of their sexual orientation "choice". Do they face assaults, social rejection, have laws on the books to discriminate against them, higher suicide rate, etc., etc.?
I think it's more of a socioeconomic privilege personally. Sure, anyone can work hard to improve one's station in life, but it's a helluva lot easier if you're born on 2nd or 3rd base. Look at our legal system. An unknown poor white guy gets the chair in the OJ case.
Perhaps I’ve just always misunderstood the core arguments of the white privilege concept - but I see financial well-being or success as just a potential consequence, not an actual example of white privilege. As for OJ - money and fame certainly got that guy off.
If you're part of one of "those families" in a small town, regardless of race, you better move and start over
I’m for anyone who does honest work, believing that there is honor in it. I can easily see how you may have missed or ignored either part of that statement. I damned sure wouldn’t see it or say something like this - and stack it upon post after post of your [itch bay]ing about people who won’t work to make a living, or even try. And you can’t even muster the basic humanity required to just leave her alone, but actually made an already difficult situation that much harder on her. Because you’re an unmitigated [Penis]. If that two-toothed fast food worker wasn’t certain that it’d cost her that minimum wage gig, she’d have surely told you to get [uck fay]ed. So, on her behalf, sincerely and personally, please, get [uck fay]ed. Legit.
