"On White Privilege"

[SummerMadness]

Actually, band-aids come in clear which goes with any color of complexion.

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Bandages are no longer marketed as flesh tone; pulling up ads that showing bandages that match other skin tones or clear bandages does not matter because it's something that has been changed due to people calling attention to the issue. The article used it as an example because it was something that was true; bandages were called flesh tone, but who's flesh tone? The initial choice illustrates how privilege can be ingrained in society. This was not brought as a current problem. Are people so myopic that they want to focus on the current way bandages are sold while ignoring how they were sold previously (the change to clear and different skin tones only occurred within the last 15 years)?

What would you call the flesh-tone color crayon Summer?

Relevance? Why does it matter what color I call it? Is it because the color is nothing else but flesh tone?

 

[LivingWordUnity]

The initial choice illustrates how privilege can be ingrained in society.

I think it illustrates that no one would have imagined that someone would be offended by such a small thing before. It's reasonable to be outraged about job discrimination and lynchings but ridiculous to be outraged about the color of a band aid. There isn't any more white privilege if band aids are now the topic of complaint.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Why should they make and sell left-handed items? Because there are left-handed people that will buy and use them. I think you're mistaking what privilege is. Privilege denotes the advantages afforded to certain groups in society. For instance, the society is privileged toward people that can walk, and until the law demanded it, people in wheelchairs did not have equal access). There was a time when a person in a wheelchair had to worry about whether they would be able to go to certain places. A person who is able to walk did not have to think about this. We're talking about the privilege involved here. There are many privileges that white people have not because they are racist, but because of social norms that are in part because of past racism.

Handedness privilege is not about whether right-handed people are actively oppressing left-handed people, it simply points out that due to the world being mostly right-handed, it is advantageous to be right-handed. This does not mean that left-handed people cannot succeed or adjust, but the adjustment is required to perform at the same level. When you use a credit card reader in a store, it conforms to right-handed people; for a left-handed person to use the card reader, they must either switch to their non-dominant hand or reorient their hand. "Of course it's made for right-handed people!" That's not the point, the point is that for a right-handed person, they are privileged because they were born into the dominant group, thus never have to consider or change how they do things because of their handedness.

Flesh colored band-aids are not racist, but when choosing to name the color, the makers did not consider skin tones that were darker as "flesh-colored." It ignores the fact that flesh has many tones to it, but standardized to a light skin tone. When you're using crayons as a child, darker skin students will realize flesh isn't meant to describe their flesh. It's not about whether intent was racist, but that a white person using such crayons will not experience such a scenario.

Flesh tone:

You may argue that it's not a big deal, but how many of these "not a big deal" things do you think people of color encounter? There is a cumulative effect here, no one thing impedes progress, but all together, it makes a difference. I've never met a black person that has complained about band-aids, but many of us know, "flesh means white." White people will never have that eperience. What about pale people? What about tan people? You can be ridiculous if you want, but the point about band-aids was to highlight something rather simple that favors white for no reason. Really, there shouldn't be a flesh color, that ascribes tone to a crayon or band-aid.

Well, look I am in a wheelchair. ( can walk, but not for long detertances or in crowed or tight areas ( means most public places). I know for a fact, that it is still tough to get in certain places I have seen it, dealt with it. Remember, the law ONLY demands it on new buildings if it was before 1990 then they were NOT required to change it.

Why not make much left handed stuff because comparely they would not sell NEARLY as well it just makes business sense. Unless they planned on increasing the price of left-handed stuff to make it more benefitical.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I wonder how many people saying "It's just a band-aid; you're complaining about nothing!" would suddenly be offended if they changed the name from "flesh colored" to "white people colored". I don't know, but I bet it would be more than none, given how upset some people get at having inherent privilege based on their skin color pointed out to them.

If white people don't like being reminded of their own whiteness in ways that make them uncomfortable, I wonder why it seems so difficult for some to understand the toll it takes on non-white people to live in a society where they are reminded constantly of how their own skin color doesn't fit the 'standard'. It's almost like white people find it unacceptable to feel for 0.5 seconds what non-white people have to deal with literally every day. Hmm.

I can sort of understand that, but you cannot blame everything on race. The fact is that in most United States states whites are, in fact the majority. As a result, the culture will be largely based on that.

 

[tatteredsoul]

What would you call the flesh-tone color crayon Summer?

Peach. The was a crayon for that too called peach.

 

[dogs4thewin]

If white people can learn to pronounce Tchaikovsky and Brzezinski and so on, then they can learn to pronounce Jamal or Aisha or whatever.

Geez.

People only learn to pronource or learn stuff ( usually) when they have a reason to. We have in a culture that is a need to know basis. That is not a cature where people will want to deal with weird names. ( culturly) There are places that different cultures fit, but people should have the right to expect if they CHOOSE to live in a particular area to practice that area's culture. Same way, I expect people coming here from Spanish-speaking countries to learn English. I know a young black man who goes by Boomer. That is nowhere near his name do not know where it came from, but he does that because it is easier to pronouce. His facebook has his actual name, professionally of course he will go by that name, but otherwise he is 24 (we were classmates in school) and he has gone by Boomer as long as I can remember teachers and everything.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Peach. The was a crayon for that too called peach.

I have even heard a (young) child call white people peach people. You know what my reaction ( as a white was) nothing (If anything I laughed because I thought it was cute).

 

[Armoured]

What would you call the flesh-tone color crayon Summer?

Peach?

 

[SummerMadness]

Well, look I am in a wheelchair. ( can walk, but not for long detertances or in crowed or tight areas ( means most public places). I know for a fact, that it is still tough to get in certain places I have seen it, dealt with it. Remember, the law ONLY demands it on new buildings if it was before 1990 then they were NOT required to change it.

Why not make much left handed stuff because comparely they would not sell NEARLY as well it just makes business sense. Unless they planned on increasing the price of left-handed stuff to make it more benefitical.

You are not understanding the point. Yes, making a lot of left-handed products that may not be sold does not make business sense, and that's precisely why the world is right-hand privileged. If you are right-handed, you don't have to worry about the products conforming to you handedness. If you need something for a particular size, there are many options available to you. That's a privilege that left-handed people do not have. Some of us have to specially order items or learn how to do things with our non-dominant hand. I do not understand the disconnect, being right-handed is an unearned privilege because the world is geared toward you. This has nothing to do with with whether the world should be geared toward you. However, if this comes down to ethnicity, then it is a problem.

 

[SummerMadness]

I can sort of understand that, but you cannot blame everything on race. The fact is that in most United States states whites are, in fact the majority. As a result, the culture will be largely based on that.

And here we have a perfect example of someone saying white privilege is a reality, but gets bent out of shape because people argue that is problematic (as it should be in a supposedly egalitarian society).

 

[nightflight]

You are not understanding the point. Yes, making a lot of left-handed products that may not be sold does not make business sense, and that's precisely why the world is right-hand privileged. If you are right-handed, you don't have to worry about the products conforming to you handedness. If you need something for a particular size, there are many options available to you. That's a privilege that left-handed people do not have. Some of us have to specially order items or learn how to do things with our non-dominant hand. I do not understand the disconnect, being right-handed is an unearned privilege because the world is geared toward you. This has nothing to do with with whether the world should be geared toward you. However, if this comes down to ethnicity, then it is a problem.

I'm left-handed and have never had a problem; I can't think of one instance where being left-handed has caused me trouble.

 

[nightflight]

I can sort of understand that, but you cannot blame everything on race. The fact is that in most United States states whites are, in fact the majority. As a result, the culture will be largely based on that.

Funny thing is, its like that everywhere.

 

[SummerMadness]

I'm left-handed and have never had a problem; I can't think of one instance where being left-handed has caused me trouble.

Do you do everything with your dominant hand the same way a right-handed person does? You don't.

The issue is not about whether you have a problem doing something, the issue is that you have to adjust as a left-handed person. You've adjusted, that doesn't mean that you can't do anything. A right-handed person has never had to adjust, that's the point.

 

[dogs4thewin]

You are not understanding the point. Yes, making a lot of left-handed products that may not be sold does not make business sense, and that's precisely why the world is right-hand privileged. If you are right-handed, you don't have to worry about the products conforming to you handedness. If you need something for a particular size, there are many options available to you. That's a privilege that left-handed people do not have. Some of us have to specially order items or learn how to do things with our non-dominant hand. I do not understand the disconnect, being right-handed is an unearned privilege because the world is geared toward you. This has nothing to do with with whether the world should be geared toward you. However, if this comes down to ethnicity, then it is a problem.

To me privilege is either earned, OR given unfairly for some reason ( often that people cannot help. NO ONE can help whether they ( or anyone is left-handed and so business sense needs to come into play. That is just the way of things. On the other hand, white privilege, While I do not believe in it is something that at least people can help how they treat others and not be business related (usually).

 

[dogs4thewin]

Funny thing is, its like that everywhere.

What is everywhere?

 

[dogs4thewin]

Do you do everything with your dominant hand the same way a right-handed person does? You don't.

The issue is not about whether you have a problem doing something, the issue is that you have to adjust as a left-handed person. You've adjusted, that doesn't mean that you can't do anything. A right-handed person has never had to adjust, that's the point.

As my late father always said fair is for kingardeners. He was meaning that life is not fair it is just the way of things. I may not find it "fair" that he passed away at 53 with colon cancer ( one of the more treatable cancers), but the fact is he was treated and people are not God. The doctors said the cancer would not be back and that is just the way things work and the way things went.

 

[SummerMadness]

To me privilege is either earned, OR given unfairly for some reason ( often that people cannot help. NO ONE can help whether they ( or anyone is left-handed and so business sense needs to come into play. That is just the way of things. On the other hand, white privilege, While I do not believe in it is something that at least people can help how they treat others and not be business related (usually).

You do not have to be given a privilege to have a privilege. No one can help that they are right-handed, but a society can recognize that there are people that are left-handed and accommodate them. There was a time when children were forced to write with their non-dominant hand because that was the "correct" or "proper" way to write. The are many left-handed people that thankfully did not have to go through this ordeal, but this was a significant issue for many left-handed kids. A right-handed kid never had that problem, it's an unearned privilege that in school, they were never graded on something they biologically could not do well. You had children receiving worse grades because their handwriting was poor. As a society we have changed that, but that doesn't erase the advantage of being right-handed.

As my late father always said fair is for kingardeners. He was meaning that life is not fair it is just the way of things. I may not find it "fair" that he passed away at 53 with colon cancer ( one of the more treatable cancers), but the fact is he was treated and people are not God. The doctors said the cancer would not be back and that is just the way things work and the way things went.

So if you come across a problem or inequality, ignore it? I'm glad the history of this country show otherwise. The United States was formed on the basis of unfairness, people were not happy with how they were being treated, so they fought a war for independence and won.

 

[dogs4thewin]

And here we have a perfect example of someone saying white privilege is a reality, but gets bent out of shape because people argue that is problematic (as it should be in a supposedly egalitarian society).

I see NOTHING wrong with blacks having "different" names personally, but I can see how "having a black sounding name maybe a problem, however it is on the parents what they name their children. If they know that curturely it is an issue ( and not only in the job market there is an EASY fix to that. For the record I do NOT support affirmtive action.

 

[dogs4thewin]

You do not have to be given a privilege to have a privilege. No one can help that they are right-handed, but a society can recognize that there are people that are left-handed and accommodate them. There was a time when children were forced to write with their non-dominant hand because that was the "correct" or "proper" way to write. The are many left-handed people that thankfully did not have to go through this ordeal, but this was a significant issue for many left-handed kids. A right-handed kid never had that problem, it's an unearned privilege that in school, they were never graded on something they biologically could not do well. You had children receiving worse grades because their handwriting was poor. As a society we have changed that, but that doesn't erase the advantage of being right-handed.

So if you come across a problem or inequality, ignore it? I'm glad the history of this country show otherwise. The United States was formed on the basis of unfairness, people were not happy with how they were being treated, so they fought a war for independence and won.

Again life is not fair. You (general) can not expect people to "accommodate" your every need life does not work that way. Life is NOT fair, and there are some respects in which "victims" should just expect that and move on because we cannot ' accommodate" the needs of every minitory.

 

[SummerMadness]

I see NOTHING wrong with blacks having "different" names personally, but I can see how "having a black sounding name maybe a problem, however it is on the parents what they name their children. If they know that curturely it is an issue ( and not only in the job market there is an EASY fix to that. For the record I do NOT support affirmtive action.

Why should a name choice be a problem? The fact that is "culturally an issue" points out that society is not egalitarian, thus the society needs to change in order to form a more perfect union. Again, you're just arguing for white privilege, the unearned privilege of allowing discrimination based on ethnic names. There is absolutely no problem having an ethnic name, unless you're arguing that racist and intolerant attitudes are okay.

Again life is not fair. You (general) can not expect people to "accommodate" your every need life does not work that way. Life is NOT fair, and there are some respects in which "victims" should just expect that and move on because we cannot ' accommodate" the needs of every minitory.

Your comment best translates to: White privilege is reality and should not be eliminated. If that's a problem, too bad.

Most people are right-handed, so little kid, writing with your left-hand is wrong, you're going to sit there and write with your right-hand until you do it "right."