White Privilege, White Entitlement

Choleric · 10-09-2008, 07:56 AM

Quote:

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their ******' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Hypersonic · 10-09-2008, 09:48 AM

Very provocative post Jeff -- some interesting thoughts ......although it is a very thinly veiled attack on a certain potential VP

Germaniac · 10-09-2008, 02:16 PM

Some really provoking thoughts, though I think some are hard pressed to be seen as "white privilege" issues (eg "making fun of community organisers" - I have a feeling they would do this regardless of Obama's race - and RE McCain cashing in on his "experience as a POW": the fact that he's playing on this experience does not have anything to do with his whiteness, I believe).

But thanks! Some valid points.

Mikael · 10-09-2008, 04:02 PM

I think most claims in the text above are exaggerated and biased indirect accusations. It's not like the fact that Obama is an African-American candidate didn't benefit him in any way or that African-American people didn't feel pressure from their African-American friends to vote for Obama even if they didn't agree with his policies. And like Germaniac said some things have nothing to do with race.

10-09-2008, 09:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
Hypersonic Connoisseur Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5,590 My Mood: Thanks: 1,063 Thanked 881 Times in 538 Posts	Re: White Privilege, White Entitlement Very provocative post Jeff -- some interesting thoughts ......although it is a very thinly veiled attack on a certain potential VP

10-09-2008, 02:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
Germaniac Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 186 Thanks: 8 Thanked 84 Times in 33 Posts	Re: White Privilege, White Entitlement Some really provoking thoughts, though I think some are hard pressed to be seen as "white privilege" issues (eg "making fun of community organisers" - I have a feeling they would do this regardless of Obama's race - and RE McCain cashing in on his "experience as a POW": the fact that he's playing on this experience does not have anything to do with his whiteness, I believe). But thanks! Some valid points.

10-09-2008, 04:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mikael Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,953 Thanks: 932 Thanked 414 Times in 250 Posts	Re: White Privilege, White Entitlement I think most claims in the text above are exaggerated and biased indirect accusations. It's not like the fact that Obama is an African-American candidate didn't benefit him in any way or that African-American people didn't feel pressure from their African-American friends to vote for Obama even if they didn't agree with his policies. And like Germaniac said some things have nothing to do with race.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What do YOU think the term "African American" means	Deutsch	Off Topic	15	07-08-2008 07:46 AM
White, white and even more white! :)	Tumbo	The Audi Lounge	4	06-29-2007 05:16 PM
Bridgestone opts for white painted groove	BMW_Dude	Formula 1 & Other Motorsports	1	04-02-2007 02:37 PM
White cars	Raj	The Pit	25	02-10-2006 09:56 AM
White Cayman S	Centurion	Cayman	8	10-30-2005 05:38 AM

Search Cloud