My father used to make this point by saying, “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.”
And what Pizzagirl and others are saying is that you can’t know whether anyone’s situation puts them ahead of anyone else except for yourself. Of course privilege is a thing. As I said on the first page, it’s generally easier to be white most places in the world (and not just here in the US). There is no question about that. What there is a question about is whether in 2015 America it’s more of a privilege to be a man than a woman. Now that would be quite a discussion. But no one can speak to any other particular individual, and there comes a point where the points are parsed so carefully that you’ve entered the realm of the ridiculous. The point is that most people should count their blessings and do what they can whenever they can for those who have less and need more at that particular moment. After all, it could be reversed at any other moment.
@Pizzagirl My post was in no way related to the game. The way I described privilege is how how privilege plays out in real life. Each person has a mix of privileges and set backs, some more significant than others. Some privileges cross races, genders, and SES, while others are more common to one group than another.
@Hunt I like your father’s saying.
@zoosermom That is my point – Just be grateful for your accomplishment and dealings. It could be worse.
“The point is that most people should count their blessings and do what they can whenever they can for those who have less and need more at that particular moment. After all, it could be reversed at any other moment.”
Additionally, privilege isn’t some number that’s computed with equations telling you what percentile you’re in. It’s merely just an observational basing on where you are compared to others and making note of it. I do agree that a ocean full of questions could be added to the questionnaires linked in this thread, but the goal of the questionnaire, in my opinion, is not to provide you with an exact number of how privileged you are, but to help put in perspective the experiences and traits you have experienced and possess and how you have benefited from it.
“Of course you don’t see it.” (Post #179)
With the exception of perhaps a few posters, people generally “bash” Romney for what he said, not because he is a Republican. John Kasich is a Republican who doesn’t get “bashed” much because he came from humble circumstances (father was a mail carrier in a working class section of Pittsburgh), and he generally takes a balanced approach, such as his support for mental health.
You seem to be saying any political figure should be out of bounds in a discussion of privilege. I disagree, because they are the ones who end up enacting the policies that affect everyone else.
Unfortunately pizzagirl, in some areas the police are right to be concerned about solicitors.
In our area, we not only have vans of neigborhood youth descending on the area to sell " magazines" to win a trip to Disneyworld, ( yet they are unfamilar with area landmarks & schools), but we have “scouts” who identify potential targets for burglary, and if someone opens the door, why then they are just lost, or need $10 to take a bus.
http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/that-magazine-peddler-at-your-door-was-part-of-a-2-million-scam-by-a-dallas-company-7103156
In the summer especially people are vulnerable to burglary as they may leave their house/car unsecured when they are outside.
We have thefts of cars/packages/mail, or even breaking/ entering, in my neighborhood every week.
But it probably is a sign of privilege, to have a police force with that much free time!
What I don’t care for is that discussions of privilege wind up with the inevitable “check your privilege.” Because you, affluent white boy / white girl, can’t possibly have anything to add to any discussion. And we don’t want to hear about your trials and tribulations in life, because they aren’t anywhere near as bad as ours because you’re white and affluent. Sorry, that IS how it played out in my kids’ college experiences. Very disheartening and divisive versus a focus on a) being grateful for the things we do have and b) working to overcome those things that afflict us all.
I also find that the kinds of questions in post #10 completely mix up “first-world problems” with real problems.
Feeling unsafe because of your sexual orientation? Being denied employment? Being stopped by the police? Not being able to marry the person you love? Those are huge issues. Members of your gender “portrayed on TV in degrading roles”? Well, frankly, lots of sitcoms I can think of have a middle-aged fat guy who bumbles through life.
“John Kasich is a Republican who doesn’t get “bashed” much because he came from humble circumstances (father was a mail carrier in a working class section of Pittsburgh),”
But there is no inherent virtue in having a father who was a mail carrier versus a father who was a (insert upper middle class professional of your choice). It doesn’t make him bash-worthy or not-bash-worthy.
Why is it better to have come from humble circumstances? Why is that so morally superior?
Who is John Kasich?
What I am saying, not seem to be saying, is that in THIS forum, politics are forbidden, but somehow frequently several posters use every possible contortion to take shots at republicans and it’s tiresome. It’s almost like a compulsion. Now in a situation where politics isn’t prohibited, then go for it. The political references get threads shut down or posts deleted, so there is no conversational value in making them here. THAT is what I’m saying.
I’ve read the first and the last few pages of this thread, and am, in my limited reading, also not seeing that the thread is bashing any political party. But, reading the accusation of it did make me suddenly remember the late Ann Richards’ great line about being born with a silver foot in his mouth. Sorry, but it did, and does, make me chuckle.
Back to topic, and this is a sincere question. How and where does one draw the line? Does privilege mean that someone has never struggled or suffered in some way? If one has to budget and balance and do without one thing in order to pay the rent or another important bill somewhere else, but they do have a roof over their head, running water and basic utilities, are the privileged? As some have said, it is all relative I suppose.
List of questions in that video. Most of them are either caricatures, or are wordy code phrases to reinforce that women, minorities & gays are always victims. As @Pizzagirl pointed out, some are just First World problems (especially #18)
Children of airline captains, emergency room doctors & CEO’s take one step back
Code phrase for ‘FEMALE’
Code phrase for ‘GAY’
Code phrase for ‘HISPANIC’
Plus, my kids’ ultra-wealthy immigrant classmates whose families "bought” Canadian or Australian permanent residency and who don’t speak English at home as the primary language, take one step back
Code phrase for ‘BLACK’
Code phrase for ‘BLACK’
One of my sons who won’t bring his Park Ave classmates to stay at our ski vacation home, because he’s worried our resort chalet may not measure up to his “0.1%” friends’ multimillion dollar properties, takes one step back
White guys who can’t ‘jump’ or dance, take one step back
Just say ‘GAY’ already—although SCOTUS has settled this one, so everyone takes one step forward.
Code phrase to single out poor HISPANIC or ASIAN 'wetback’
So my my kids’ ultra-wealthy immigrant classmates w dual citizenship and platinum frequent flyer status do not get to step forward
The Donald’s kids and Rupert Murdoch’s kids take one step back.
Trained/qualified Air Traffic Controller students bypassed for diversity don’t get to take one step forward
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304655304579551972980383170
Think about this the next time you board a flight…
Code phrase for ‘BLACK’
I wouldn’t call the corrupt police in the country I’m living in now, so I guess I take one step back.
Do Medicaid recipients take one step forward?
First World problem…
White school teachers working in schools in underprivileged communities take one step back
Upper income families who take out a student loan to send junior to NYU, take one step back
I’m an atheist. I have my holiday dates dictated by my religious co-workers. I feel micro-aggressed by not taking one step forward.
We’re upper income, but I make my kids work minimum wage jobs—they take one step back.
Who does feel comfortable walking home alone at night?
Do illegal immigrants take one step forward?
Oprah Winfrey, take one step back
African-American kids who learn about slavery and Dr MLK, take one step forward
Steve Job’s kids take one step back
I don’t think it’s better to have come from humble circumstances–unless you want to talk about what it’s like to come from humble circumstances. What I think is annoying people about Romney, O’Malley, and others is when they talk as though they also came from humble circumstances, but didn’t.
I get the idea that you can’t necessarily tell what obstacles a person might have, even if he’s a white, straight American male with well-off parents. However, I also think it’s true that some of us enjoy privileges as a group. The fact that the police are less likely to stop our white sons on the highway is an example of this. And it’s something that you just don’t perceive if you’re in the privileged group–because the police don’t stop you. The privileges of wealth are something else people may not perceive (which was part of what the “bubble” questionnaire was getting at). We talk about this here on CC in the context of explaining to college freshmen that some of their peers may not be able to afford to go out for pizza–or that some of their peers may be able to afford things that they cannot.
I believe the question was trying to address the racial and/or SES gaps seen in television and movies today. I’m unsure if that’s what the intention of the question was, but that’s what I first think of.
@jym626 I do not believe privilege means you have never struggles or suffered in some way. No matter a person’s color, gender, SES, ability, etc., we’re all humans who experience sufferings that don’t discriminate.
Speaking more not that topic, when white people throw their hands up in frustration over privilege claiming they’re not allowed to complain about anything or how their life is oh so peachy and plush because they’re white, I couldn’t disagree more.
Re: #9: I’ll come stay in your ski vacation home, GMT.
Post #190, you are generalizing. In my neighborhood, Asians don’t get stopped, it often jokes in our local forum, but the white males sometimes do. Ask my husband and he will confirm the incident. White male. Yeap!
Come on, DrGoogle, I don’t have to generalize much to note that the phenomenon of being stopped for driving while black is well known. But you illustrate the point that whatever privilege rich, white males have, somebody will come up with some far-out situation in which they have some kind of disadvantage–and so it’s all even.
187 Then you need to flag each post for violations of TOS.
Dr. Google, Google him (#186) because if I tell you who he is I might get flagged for politics.
It’s not far out situation except driving a clunker to Costco with a missing back light, on road to be fixed and was stopped.
If somebody calls you out on your generalization, then it’s a far out situation.
Typical pattern I see here.
I see a pattern of the same people making light of others’ plights, grievances, or sincere complaints, but I guess we only see what we want to see. :shrug: Cat calling is just something to be flattered about even though they cornered you on the street. What’s the big deal? People assume you don’t speak English well and only ask for your opinion in terms of their stereotypical view of you. What’s the big deal? So…cops might pull you over based on suspicion and search your car to find something worth writing a ticket for. What’s the big deal?
And side note, driving while black is not the same as driving a clunker with a missing back light. Both will get you pulled over but after that the similarities end.
I don’t believe there is similarities but there was a blanket statement of privilege.
As far as catcalls, unless you are in a secluded area and feel threatened, like in some of your situations in some post, that’s not the same as being catcalls in a busy street. I would just ignore and move on.
Lots of things in life, you have to ignore. For example, I bent down to pick something in my short shorts in my drive way, well I ran out of shorts, the landscaper next door gave one of those looks, so I ignored him. So what, who am I going to complain to? On CC. No I didn’t like to be looked at like that. Let put it this way, I didn’t dress in shorts to flirt with these people.
Somewhere, he’s weeping over this.
As for politics, I think it’s silly to claim that mentioning Mitt Romney is political, while something like Post 189 isn’t.
I would just note that it’s a sign of privilege to think that it’s no big deal to be pulled over by the police. If you’re a white male, it isn’t a big deal. Most likely, the police officer will politely tell you that your tail light is out, even if he writes you a ticket. If you’re white, he probably won’t ask you to step out of the car, or ask you where you’re going, etc.
Of course, he MIGHT do these things even if you’re white. But he won’t do them BECAUSE you’re white.