<p>I’m just intrigued with this piece. Have sent it to my kids for a future dinner table discussion (we have LOTS of topic discussions!!!) My son actually sort of went head to head (in a civil way) with his student teaching teacher supervisor over this topic this semester in his ST seminar - he is teaching in a very urban, ethnic community in Chicago Public Schools, is a graduate of a very mixed race/socioeconomic high school. His supervisor insists that he and his class ARE white privilege and S denies it based on race/ethnicity and not character. </p>
<p>Ignoring the content, that’s bad writing for someone in his situation. But he’s a freshman, so he’s only 18 or 19 years old. I hope that after four years at Princeton, he’ll write better.</p>
<p>As to the content, yawn. Better writers have made his point, in fewer, better-chosen words.</p>
<p>I thought it was excellent. He is right, of course. The phrase “white privilege” is racist, bigoted and insulting, and should be banned. (JK on the “banned” part )</p>
<p>The argument is sloppy, too. To the extent that he is privileged because he is white and male, that privilege has nothing to do with his hardworking ancestors. His ancestors could have been white pirates, rapists and murderers, and he would still be white and male, and he’d still have the privileges (whatever they might be) that accrue to white males who grow up in New Rochelle, a tony New York suburb.</p>
<p>He might want to argue that he has no advantages, as a white male, over people that are not white males. But he doesn’t make that argument. </p>
<p>Also, it may be nitpicky, but I cannot like phrases toeing lines. I don’t usually even notice mixed metaphors, but that one screams out to me.</p>
<p>He is challenging the accusation via the “check your privilege” insult, that being a white male means you have had everything, especially your successes, handed to you. </p>
<p>The whole point of the “white privilege” thing is that the character of the person involved has no bearing.</p>
<p>A store clerk sees a white male enter the place and goes over to find out whether he can help the customer. The same store clerk sees a black male enter the place and follows him around to make sure he isn’t shoplifting. The white male could be Adolf Hitler and the black male could be MLK. White privilege comes into play when as a white person one is <em>assumed</em> to be “better” in some way than non-whites and when certain things are available because of that.</p>
<p>Yes, it is annoying when this is misused and overused. For example, at my son’s college, there was an incident where a girl left her belongings at a precious space on a table in the library during exam time while she took a 2-hour dinner break. When she came back, she found that a group of people had moved her stuff to the side. She went on FB and started proclaiming that this was an example of “white privilege.” Patently ridiculous. In the history of the school, I’m sure a black or Asian student has moved someone’s stuff in that situation, and they weren’t motivated by “white privilege.”</p>
<p>Dd and I walk into a store to buy a prom dress, there was a young sales clerk helping a teen & her mom with a dress. There was another older sales person standing behind the counter, sipping on an iced coffee. She barely looked up from her reading material. I didn’t think much of it and DD sifted through the racks of dresses and the younger sales rep was attempting to help us whilst helping the other family. We even asked the older SP for a particular dress, she gave a short answer and didn’t budge…after trying on one dress, I had the feeling that something was off…so I told dd to get dressed and thanked the younger SP for her help and stated “I don’t want you to take away from the other client”. The younger SP shoots older SP a dirty look and smiles at us apologetically. </p>
<p>While thanking the younger SP, a family walks in and the older SP quickly folds her paper in half, puts her coffee down scurries from her comfortable perch to assist the new arrivals. With a wide smile and cheery voice…wow. Talk about being transparent. </p>
<p>I say all this to say, there is white privilege, I can’t speak to the young mans experience but it does happen…even in the smallest of ways…we see it all the time and it happens so much, it’s better to walk out rather than spend hard earned $$$. </p>
<p>This argument isn’t new. It has always been a faulty argument and he did nothing to change that fact. The argument entirely relies on deflection from the actual problem. When someone tells you to “check your privilege” they aren’t trying to attack you, nor diminish your accomplishments. They are trying to counter your stupid argument about why we shouldn’t implement some kind of policy change which would genuinely make life better for a lot of people because “Hey I’m doing fine, what’s wrong with you people?” </p>
<p>The argument completely ignores a lot of subtle but highly influential factors which affect success/the potential for success and dismisses proposed changes that are often thought to be effective by social scientists who are supported by research in favor of nice but wholly unrepresentative anecdotes about “The American Dream.” All while avoiding the fact that your ideological argument is disguising your real desire to maintain a favorable status quo.</p>
<p>People will often say that they are ok with equality of opportunity but not equality of results. The problem with this is that if you don’t achieve equality of results on a macro scale, how sure are you that the opportunities were equal in the first place? If you are going to argue that minorities are on an equal playing field because we legally ended segregation and have an African American President, then what is your explanation for the statistical disparities between minorities and whites in a lot of important areas? If you honestly believe that there is nothing wrong with the system that can be fixed, then what explanations are you left with? That these groups are somehow inherently predisposed to failure? That your group is somehow inherently predisposed to success? Feel free to chime in if I’m not thinking of a reason that isn’t fixable or racist. </p>
<p>The point is, the person you are arguing with cares about making the world a better place enough to admit that they have benefited from unfairness even if they weren’t responsible for it and is willing to give something up to right those wrongs. While you may not have committed the original crime, your efforts to disrupt the investigation make you an accomplice. You don’t need to feel terrible and give up all your money because you are privileged, you just have to at the very least not be a jerk about it, and hopefully be responsible enough to try to change the world for the better. </p>
<p>That^ is not an example of “white privilege,” it is blatant bad service (albeit possibly motivated by racial prejudice). I have been treated poorly by a black salesclerk and by a Latina office staffer. Possibly because of my race, but most likely because they are terrible people.</p>
<p>Enjoying the fruits of your ancestors’ hard work without having to do hard work yourself is privilege.</p>
<p>Along with the privilege you actually have if you have parents who care enough and are equipped to even give you a chance to know how to work hard to succeed.</p>
<p>^The author acknowledged those personal privileges that he has had now. He was pointing out that his ancestors didn’t get him to where he is by doing nothing hard.</p>
<p>Bay, that IS an example of white privilege. White privilege is getting good service because you’re white, while non-white potential customers get scrutinized suspiciously. White privilege is being shown the apartment, when non-white customers get told it’s already been rented. White privilege is getting the interview, while Latoya’s and Julio’s identical resumes get thrown in the trash. White privilege is being able to hail the taxi, while the black guy next to you watches empty taxis pass him. White privilege is getting a slap on the wrist for “youthful indiscretions” while black kids go to jail. White privilege is lots of things you get for being white, without even asking for them.</p>
<p>You don’t think any of those things are right. You don’t think that you should get them while others do not. But if you are white, you get them anyway.</p>
<p>Everyone here has probably made up their minds about the argument, such as it is, advanced in this article. So let’s return to the writing. Does anyone think this is good writing?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Do drones descend recklessly? How can something both descend recklessly and aim like a laser?</p>
<p>Do phrases toe lines? </p>
<p>Do commands teeter?</p>
<p>Is “imposition” the right word in the phrase “a command … [that is] an imposition to actually explore”?</p>
<p>I say, rather than examine his ancestors, he should get busy with a red pen and tighten up this Bullwer-Lytton style prose.</p>
<p>What you are describing is racial discrimination. In that case, the “check your privilege” must mean that the author got where he is, only because all non-whites were discriminated against. Is that what you are saying? </p>
<p>If so, it is still insulting.</p>
<p>Whites are also discriminated against by other races.</p>
<p>Yes, what I’m describing is racial discrimination. White privilege means not having to experience it. </p>
<p>We don’t know why the writer’s interlocutors said “Check your privilege.” Maybe it was in response to him saying it’s easy to hail a taxi in Midtown Manhattan. He doesn’t say.</p>
<p>Usually, “Check your privilege” would mean, “It’s easier for you because you’re a white male,” not that everything he ever got was handed to him. And it is easier for him because he’s a white male, no doubt about that.</p>
<p>There is some saying about how when you don’t have case against the content, you attack the form. No one really cares about the writing style, do they?</p>
</p>