Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Bob
I think you mostly get the concept; you just don't like the terminology that the kids are using these days. We straight white guys in the soft alcoholism of middle age are used to thinking about "privilege" as some special and unique gift for certain individuals. So we bristle at the idea that the grandson of an Irish stone cutter who came to the US via Ellis Island, and the son of a blue collar Union guy, is "privileged" in the same way that a Princeton legacy admitted WASP whose name has Roman numerals is "privileged."
But we are. In all sorts of ways, big and small. Senior government officials getting pulled over for driving while black. White lawyers assuming black female lawyers at a deposition are the court reporters. A black female cop came onto my crowded subway (shhh!) the other day, and bumped two or three of us as she walked by. I got an "excuse me, sir" but she didn't say anything to the black guy in a suit standing next to me. Silly example, but there you go.
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I have to say, it is incredibly sad to witness an educated person fight tooth and nail against how one labels the concept that they are in a better position than those he knows for a fact are in a worse position.
"It's all a matter of
perspective. And in order for me to not be completely disrespectful and dismissive, use
mine. Don't say I'm privileged, because I don't like thinking about it
that way. Say
you're underprivileged. Then I'll engage."
What a fucking asshole.
And it's so classic. It is the fundamental game plan white people employ to avoid shit they don't like. Take the word that is used as shorthand to define a problem, vilify the word, ignore the issue. "Feminist?" Man-hater. Can't deal. "Politically correct?" Ugh. I can't say
anything anymore. "Privilege?" I'm not privileged. I'm normal. This concept is dumb.
Notice that he's not really arguing over the fact that there is clearly a difference in how he's treated. He just doesn't like that the word to describe that difference focuses on
him and what he
gets instead of
others and what they
don't get. Can't take it. It's not
his fault he was born into a system that benefits him (which won't change until he agrees not to
always exercise those benefits and sure as hell won't change if he won't even acknowledge them as
benefits).
And while I appreciate Hank's story (and fully understand how he used it to make his point), the fact that this one absolutely ridiculous example of a white person talking about not benefiting from privilege (and I've never, ever seen anything like what he says happened in his story) sticks with him given the
literally countless stories of white people exercising their privilege to their own benefit, says something, no?
TM
