"On White Privilege"

[Rick Otto]

It's not fair some people were born ugly and some were born beautiful. I called this "Beautiful privilege" Can we all agree beautiful privilege exist? Let make it simpler can we all agree life is not fair and stop pretend it will ever be or you will drive yourself nuts?

No one is pretending.
That is no excuse to ignore victims and not try to raise consciousness.
Obviously beautiful privilege exists.

 

[Rick Otto]

That's the part I'm talking about.

If you have time to fret over the shade of bandages, you either a) aren't suffering from discrimination
or more likely b) you are focusing on meaningless petty things when you face real issues.

As c'mon.. when you can't get a job because your skin color doesn't match bandaids, you realize how ubiquitous racism is.

 

[rturner76]

They do fit a cookie cutter mold...that's exactly the problem. I'll lay it out for you...

It's always a discussion of white racism. Never a discussion of black, latino, or asian racism...those aren't allowed. It's always one way...blame whites for everything, never even for a moment consider personal responsibility. Never consider how personal choices might affect outcomes or personal perspective might influence your life.

It's always the perspective of whites which is to blame. Always their views....never yours.

A lot of always and nevers which makes me sense some frustration. Nobody is talking about not taking on personal responsibility or blaming the white man for all the worlds problems. Nobody is even saying that white people are generally racist. The simplest way to say it is if you are born with white skin in the USA you are fortunate to have an advantage that minorities don't have. Being white makes you "normal." Radio TV press are all cater to the entertainment of white people and reflect the white experience. White schools are better funded, white neighborhoods are higher value, whites make more money for doing the same jobs, whites are more likely to be hired for a job, whites get less prison for the same crimes. These are but a few examples of why it is a privilege to be born white in the USA.

All these people denying it on here are arguing from bigoted opinions and not facts. They argue based on political ideology and not statistics. They try to say it's the big bad Liberals and some kind of ploy but that is nonsense and all the facts prove this.

 

[Gadarene]

All these people denying it on here are arguing from bigoted opinions and not facts. They argue based on political ideology

Lol, and "white privilege" is what exactly?

 

[SummerMadness]

Whoa...pump the brakes. He can't suggest that his attack was racially motivated? Is that what you're saying?

He refers to being a "white boy" outrunning "black guys" as if they're supposed to catch him because they're black.

I get that it doesn't reflect every flesh tone...I get that it's factually incorrect. I don't get what the big deal is...

The point is that the "default" is treated as white. White is treated as "normal." Why call it flesh tone if it does not reflect flesh tone (which cannot be relegated to a single color)?

When I was a child, they did not have flesh tone crayons, as Crayola and other companies had already changed them. If they already changed it then what are you complaining about?! Again, people throw a fit when you illustrate an example for them. The issue was made a racial issue by those who decided to call it flesh tone. Someone points out, "Well, flesh tone isn't accurate, it doesn't match my skin color or most people of my ethnicity, or that person's ethnicity..." Why are you making everything racial! Perhaps not referring to at as flesh tone in the first place would help?

Are you saying that as a black child...you looked at the flesh-tone crayon and suddenly realized that a massive institutional racism existed? You thought that you were less of a person because it wasn't your flesh tone? You wept at the cruelty inherent in humanity that was reflected by the name of a colored crayon?

Or...did it not make any difference in your life whatsoever?

So you have to act like it's the end of the world or nothing is a problem at all? Got it.

This is also ironic...because we don't need everyone to agree on climate change to start on solutions for it. Reducing oil dependency, finding alternative energy sources, increasing the use of public transportation...all these things can happen and do happen regardless of whether or not everyone agrees on climate change. What's more the solutions are obvious...and relatable.

You wanna hear the obvious solution to people with unusual names getting jobs? Stop giving your children unusual names.

Problem solved within just a couple generations.

You do not need everyone to agree, but when there is a political faction that controls about half the government, you're going to need more people that understand the problem rather than calling it a myth. You can't push forward initiatives if there is a group that actively blocks the process.

Jamal, Malik, Imani, Khadijah, these are not unusual names, but they are popular among African Americans. If these names appear on a resume, they are less likely to get a callback for an interview. Why should African Americans not name their children using common names among their ethnic group? That makes absolutely no sense, unless you're demanding that they conform to a white majority. In effect you're saying, if you want to be treated as an equal, then you need to erase your cultural identity. Yep, nothing could be possibly wrong with that attitude.

 

[rturner76]

What's funny to me is the ongoing infantalization. And no, people aren't "bigots" for not buying into the spurious notion of "white privilige". I think what's actually going on though is that those who are cowed are resentful of those who aren't. Its frustrating to white progressives to see other whites not succumbing to these false accusations of "privilege". Now its even called "privilege" if a person grows up with two parents.

No, what;s really going on is people are waking uo to what white privilege is and the establishment is resentful of being called out for turning a blind eye to it. I mean what to you make of all the statistics that support this phenomenon?

 

[Chesterton]

I am surprised you can stand thru an entire liturgy, but not read this entire article. I was reading the comments before I realized I had finished the article. I am left wondering if your post is self satire.

Well I am a busy man. After I walk the plants and water the dog, I usually spend about an hour a day just reveling in my privilege by applying band-aids to my body simply to admire the wonderfully matching hue.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

So many replies. All I see is the same thing about both sides really. Blacks blame whites, whites blame blacks. Its like arguing with a atheist when your christian. Its just a stale mate because neither side thinks they are wrong. What we really need are unbiased aliens to come down and give their view. Granted aliens aren't real.

 

[pakicetus]

To all the people saying liberals have no solutions to racial discrimination: that's not true. Bernie Sanders has a detailed racial justice platform, and so does Hillary Clinton. I created a thread outlining some solutions. Not a single Republican agreed with any of my solutions or offered any of their own; their uniform reaction was to deny that white privilege exists, pat the Republican Party on the back for opposing slavery 150 years ago, or inexplicably change the subject to how lazy/violent/irresponsible black people are.

 

[Gadarene]

Well I am a busy man. After I walk the plants and water the dog, I usually spend about an hour a day just reveling in my privilege by applying band-aids to my body simply to admire the wonderfully matching hue.

WORSE THAN HITLER

 

[rturner76]

Lol, and "white privilege" is what exactly?

It is a provable phenomenon. What do you make of all the statistics that support it's existence?

 

[Gadarene]

It is a provable phenomenon. What do you make of all the statistics that support it's existence?

It is political ideology. And I've seen enough times where white disadvantage is handwaved away to know that. Use of stats is one thing. Cherry-picking stats to prop up an ideology is another.

 

[SummerMadness]

So many replies. All I see is the same thing about both sides really. Blacks blame whites, whites blame blacks. Its like arguing with a atheist when your christian. Its just a stale mate because neither side thinks they are wrong. What we really need are unbiased aliens to come down and give their view. Granted aliens aren't real.

Your comment doesn't even reflect what was posted here. "Blacks blame whites, whites blame blacks." Where?

 

[nightflight]

To all the people saying liberals have no solutions to racial discrimination: that's not true. Bernie Sanders has a detailed racial justice platform, and so does Hillary Clinton. I created a thread outlining some solutions. Not a single Republican agreed with any of my solutions or offered any of their own; their uniform reaction was to deny that white privilege exists, pat the Republican Party on the back for opposing slavery 150 years ago, or inexplicably change the subject to how lazy/violent/irresponsible black people are.

I just can't fathom going against myself like that.

 

[nightflight]

No, what;s really going on is people are waking uo to what white privilege is and the establishment is resentful of being called out for turning a blind eye to it. I mean what to you make of all the statistics that support this phenomenon?

No, what's going on is you believe your pandering will bring a payoff of safety and alleviation of your genetic guilt. It won't.

 

[pakicetus]

I just can't fathom going against myself like that.

Can you expand on that? I have no idea what you're saying.

 

[SummerMadness]

It is a provable phenomenon. What do you make of all the statistics that support it's existence?

Because it's easier to ignore the phenomenon by spitting out bad analogies? My favorite is "black people are more likely to commit crimes." Mind you they conveniently ignore that when a black and white person with the same background, criminal history, socioeconomic status, etc. commit the same crime, the black person receives the harsher punishment. That's the disparity, it shouldn't be there, yet people continue to argue it doesn't exist (despite it being a measurable thing). Countless times, from job interviews to airbnb, you have identical people whose only difference is skin color, and the results are always the "black person" (because the studies use fictional identities) receiving fewer services or opportunity.

 

[Ana the Ist]

A lot of always and nevers which makes me sense some frustration. Nobody is talking about not taking on personal responsibility or blaming the white man for all the worlds problems.

Nobody is avoiding personal responsibility? That's good news....then you'd agree that if a young black man commits a crime, gets caught, gets sentenced...his situation is really more his fault than the result of a racist criminal justice system, right?

Nobody is even saying that white people are generally racist. The simplest way to say it is if you are born with white skin in the USA you are fortunate to have an advantage that minorities don't have.

Why? Why do I have this advantage if not for racism?

Being white makes you "normal." Radio TV press are all cater to the entertainment of white people and reflect the white experience. White schools are better funded, white neighborhoods are higher value, whites make more money for doing the same jobs

Schools are funded by the communities around them. Do whites actually make more money for the same jobs? Is there some research behind this? I used to think the same thing about women getting paid less until I learned it's attributable to things like the amount of overtime men work compared to women.

whites are more likely to be hired for a job, whites get less prison for the same crimes. These are but a few examples of why it is a privilege to be born white in the USA.

I read a study that managed to show that race was a factor in prison sentencing...but they couldn't figure out if it was an advantage for blacks or whites...just that it's a factor. The problem is there are so many other factors, previous criminal history, severity of the crime, etc, that you'd be hard pressed to find an apples to apples comparison.

All these people denying it on here are arguing from bigoted opinions and not facts. They argue based on political ideology and not statistics.

Do you know that? I consider myself a left-leaning moderate. I've also studied statistics long enough to know what they do show and what they don't.

They try to say it's the big bad Liberals and some kind of ploy but that is nonsense and all the facts prove this.

What are the facts? Lay them out and let's talk about them.

 

[Rick Otto]

Well I am a busy man. After I walk the plants and water the dog, I usually spend about an hour a day just reveling in my privilege by applying band-aids to my body simply to admire the wonderfully matching hue.

I just canceled the gift order of super hero bandaids from Amazon to your all white penthouse.

 

[rturner76]

It is political ideology. And I've seen enough times where white disadvantage is handwaved away to know that. Use of stats is one thing. Cherry-picking stats to prop up an ideology is another.

You don't have to cherry pick to prove white privilege. You can go straight down the line. Housing, education, criminal justice, medical, employment, in all these areas, whites have been proven to have an advantage and always have. Is that cherry picking? The only disadvantage white people have is when individuals are born in poverty but the poverty rate is lower for whites as a whole so there's another area where whites have an adventage