Privilege

[child of wonder]

What privilege do each of you enjoy?

So far I have:

- White privilege
- Male privilege
- CIS privilege
- Heterosexual privilege
- Upper class privilege

That last one has taken 16 years to go from dirt poor, stupid 23 year old with a pregnant girlfriend to where I am now so I'm quite proud of that one.

I've also been dieting and have lost a lot of weight lately. Can't wait until I'm accused of having thin privilege, too!

Seriously, is "privilege" a thing? If it is, what, if anything, should be done about it? If a person has "privilege" what duties or burdens does that entail? Should we work towards eliminating "privilege" or is "privilege" a natural and unavoidable result of a diverse population with diverse opportunities, random decision making, and blind luck?

 

[IronWing]

Privilege is another term for actually enjoying the rights and opportunities we all have in law. I am privileged that when a cop busts me for speeding he writes the ticket and goes onto the next revenue target. He doesn't jack me around, search my car, or shoot me.

 

[pete6032]

This thread is going to spin out of control very quickly.

 

[feralkid]

Amazon Prime.

 

[child of wonder]

This thread is going to spin out of control very quickly.

There's going to be a huge variety and spectrum of opinions on this topic. It'll be fun to see where people weigh in.

 

[KMFJD]

Posting

 

[dank69]

Privilege is another term for actually enjoying the rights and opportunities we all have in law. I am privileged that when a cop busts me for speeding he writes the ticket and goes onto the next revenue target. He doesn't jack me around, search my car, or shoot me.

This. I also didn't get shot 20 times when I was locked out of my own home.

 

[UglyCasanova]

What privilege do each of you enjoy?

So far I have:

- White privilege
- Male privilege
- CIS privilege
- Heterosexual privilege
- Upper class privilege

That last one has taken 16 years to go from dirt poor, stupid 23 year old with a pregnant girlfriend to where I am now so I'm quite proud of that one.

I've also been dieting and have lost a lot of weight lately. Can't wait until I'm accused of having thin privilege, too!

Seriously, is "privilege" a thing? If it is, what, if anything, should be done about it? If a person has "privilege" what duties or burdens does that entail? Should we work towards eliminating "privilege" or is "privilege" a natural and unavoidable result of a diverse population with diverse opportunities, random decision making, and blind luck?

It’s an excuse is all it is.

 

[child of wonder]

Privilege is another term for actually enjoying the rights and opportunities we all have in law. I am privileged that when a cop busts me for speeding he writes the ticket and goes onto the next revenue target. He doesn't jack me around, search my car, or shoot me.

Is that an indication of your skin color or is it more heavily influenced by behavior?

 

[IronWing]

Is that an indication of your skin color or is it more heavily influenced by behavior?

It's an indication of skin color, sex, age, wealth, and possibly behavior.

 

[child of wonder]

It's an indication of skin color, sex, age, wealth, and possibly behavior.

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

 

[mect]

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

Obviously behavior plays into how you will be treated, but it doesn't play into privilege because it is socially acceptable for behavior to influence how you are treated. On the other hand, in my opinion it is socially unacceptable for skin color, gender, sexual orientation, etc to influence how you are treated, but frequently these things do.

 

[jackstar7]

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

Wait... you don't think wealth is visible?

 

[Moonbeam]

I got an opportunity to know a person who once hated himself and undid all of that damage tell me I could do the same.

 

[dank69]

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

When you behave badly, you might get arrested. When black people behave badly they get the shit kicked out of them, then they get arrested, if they are lucky. If they aren't lucky they get shot.

 

[Fenixgoon]

When you behave badly, you might get arrested. When black people behave badly they get the shit kicked out of them, then they get arrested, if they are lucky. If they aren't lucky they get shot.

and sometimes they just get shot anyway

 

[Younigue]

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

Would your poor behavior involve having a cell phone in your hand? Not being white? Is your neighborhood diverse?

I suspect you understand this subject better than you're suggesting or want to believe.

As a whitey I never ever worry about being shot by the police and I even gave an officer a hard time about ticketing me for drinking and driving 27 years ago. I've never been in a store and had anyone assume I'd steal from them even though as a teenager I stole several pairs of longjohn's with a group of girls. We weren't even particular subtle in our thievery. I've never been suspected of being a terrorist, in this I have no example, I've never destroyed other people's properties or lives but if I were inclined to do far to many cops would have to sift through their biases before they'd even consider looking in my direction. More so because I'm white and female.

To have privilege and not be aware of it is a lie one tells themselves. Truly, being born white in America even if you have a horrendous life buys you privilege.

What the privileged should do is stand by their fellow humans and demand equal rights, equal due process, equal pay, equal opportunities. But too often the privilege consciously or subconsciously fear losing their own privileges. It's ugly but true.

 

[cytg111]

I have first world privilege.
Running water
Indoor plumbing
NATO protection
Freedom of speech
Democracy
Three solid meals per day + snacks
I get to imagine mankind on Mars
...

 

[Darwin333]

How does the officer know your wealth? Why wouldn't behavior play into it?

If I were pulled over and behaved badly and potentially dangerously towards an officer how might my experience be different than if I didn't? Or would my behavior have no bearing?

Or you could just spend 15 minutes searching Youtube and find plenty of videos of black people getting pulled over for minor traffic violations and cops approaching the car with guns drawn. You ever have a cop approach your car with his gun drawn after getting pulled over for speeding or a broken tail light? I sure haven't.

White people and black people use drugs at roughly the same rate but do a quick google search on the percentage of white/black people in jail on drug charges. They have even done studies where they would call companies looking to hire and give names that sounded white and names that sounded black but with the same qualifications and the "white" names got called back a lot more. Or maybe they sent in applications or something, I don't recall the specifics but I am sure you could find a few of them if you are even remotely interested in the topic like you claim to be.

 

[Maxima1]

Or you could just spend 15 minutes searching Youtube and find plenty of videos of black people getting pulled over for minor traffic violations and cops approaching the car with guns drawn. You ever have a cop approach your car with his gun drawn after getting pulled over for speeding or a broken tail light? I sure haven't.

Can you give me a stat on this? Looking at a youtube video as significant evidence is stupid. I could declare the opposite is true by pointing to the white guy who begged for his life, yet got shot anyway. Regardless, the vast majority of encounters with police lead to nothing if you haven't done anything. When people mention "white privilege", they act like it's such a huge boost in life when personality and IQ matter much more.

White people and black people use drugs at roughly the same rate but do a quick google search on the percentage of white/black people in jail on drug charges.

The percentage doing it doesn't tell you the volume, though. And of course maybe there are other factors like policing black communities more because there is more crime, which then leads to convictions on cocaine, etc. If you're okay with drug convictions besides marijuana, it's a bit silly to argue that we have to stop policing it because whites aren't being caught as much.

They have even done studies where they would call companies looking to hire and give names that sounded white and names that sounded black but with the same qualifications and the "white" names got called back a lot more. Or maybe they sent in applications or something, I don't recall the specifics but I am sure you could find a few of them if you are even remotely interested in the topic like you claim to be.

There are studies that also counter whatever one you're referring to. And HR policies in the US favor minorities.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Working your way up from poor to wealthy isn't privilege, it's hard work and effort with a dose of opportunity.

 

[Younigue]

Can you give me a stat on this? Looking at a youtube video as significant evidence is stupid. I could declare the opposite is true by pointing to the white guy who begged for his life, yet got shot anyway. Regardless, the vast majority of encounters with police lead to nothing if you haven't done anything. When people mention "white privilege", they act like it's such a huge boost in life when personality and IQ matter much more.



The percentage doing it doesn't tell you the volume, though. And of course maybe there are other factors like policing black communities more because there is more crime, which then leads to convictions on cocaine, etc. If you're okay with drug convictions besides marijuana, it's a bit silly to argue that we have to stop policing it because whites aren't being caught as much.



There are studies that also counter whatever one you're referring to. And HR policies in the US favor minorities.

Well, there's a study on just about everything isn't there? You seriously don't need stats or study results to see what happens to minorities and the poor in America. America should be better than that instead of allowing and accepting Hate/ignorance run amuck.

You have to be very specifically blind and deaf to not acknowledge the imbalance... AND of course ignorantly white.

I hate that this post of yours represents too many fu*king people who think like you (just to be ugly). As I stated before, you have to lie to yourself to not see the privilege. What I didn't say before is that you must also be petty and small to not see it as well as insecure about possibly having to live in a country where white privilege no longer exists. Where instead privilege is shared by ALL.

The very fact that you asked for stats says everything about you. None of it kind or respectable.

 

[brycejones]

It appears the OP has trouble empathizing.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

When you behave badly, you might get arrested. When black people behave badly they get the shit kicked out of them, then they get arrested, if they are lucky. If they aren't lucky they get shot.

So I didn't behave badly and I got the shit kicked out of me by the cops. I win!

 

[FIVR]

What we are all not taking into account is the privilege we all have: Existence privilege. Try to imagine all the things and occurrences that could exist, but don't. Very auspicious that things should be as they are.