White Privilege Lesson (I saw on FB)

originally posted by: japhrimu
a reply to: Shamrock6
K. I have gone back, and reread. I DO see that I had misinterpreted the story. It was about education, not race. I have a few "excuses" for why I did this. Recent white privilege topics I've been hearing gave me word association conclusions, and such. The picture displayed showed the white guy closest. (I jumpt to a conclusion here.) FB likes to mess with people's psyches, they've admitted.

And there're more, but I digress... I wonder if I should pose a different question, or let this thread die....

Let it live. There are all kinds of privilege.

a reply to: amazing

Personally, right off the bat, I don't know if in person anyone has done it to me, either. I see and hear it everywhere in the news and entertainment media, and I wonder why.

a reply to: jjkenobi

Yeah. I was wrong about that... M'bad.

I don't know where I heard it but this reminds me of a good analogy of life.

We're all in the middle of a rushing river and you have 1 of 2 options.

You identify a goal and start swimming like mad towards it, or

you relax and let the current take you where it may.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

Do you mean my OP, or the article. My OP was wrong. I retracted in a reply, but am going back to respond to my responders, since I created the thread. Sorry 'bout the mistake.

a reply to: amazing

I understand what white guilt is.

It's never happened to me either. Doesn't mean it isn't out there. Doesn't mean people don't feel that way. Doesn't mean people don't think others should feel that way.

Just because I don't agree with them doesn't mean it isn't out there.

a reply to: amazing

Thanks, but now I see I was wrong. You know what I thought, though, right?

a reply to: japhrimu

Easy mistake to make, yes. I blame the over-saturation of white privilege commentary

Ok. Due to my misinterpretation of the article, I'd rather stop the thread, and maybe later, pose question in a different way, because I am interested in at least the privilege, but also the white privilege topic.

Mods?...

It's not big deal if the thread's not closed, imo. I might not contribute much to it anymore, is kinda what I'm saying. Sorry to everyone for my original misunderstanding.

This seems to be more about economic freedom than anything else. I do laugh that it seems all we do is use the terms rich or poor, but I hate to tell you all, there is another class that is neither and I'm dead in it.

I make enough where my wife does not need to work and can focus on the family. I'm retired from the military and my kids had a part of that experience and saw that code we lived by everyday. They play sports, music etc and I can afford things like 8th grade trips to DC. They want for very little but if they do not maintain at least an A- or have issues they start to lose those privileges I give them. They understand where I come from and we talk daily. Such topics like pot, I just say that it is illegal until they are 18 (Washington state) and they are free to do it, now this also means I'm free to support them or not as they head off to college, their choice, my choice.

In the end they have a much better chance for success than poor kids who struggle though many adversities that my kids will never experience. I just do not see a skin color in all this...

a reply to: Xtrozero

Careful in WA. 21 is the age, I believe.

I don't really see where the teacher made it about race, in fact, it kind of made it seem like the teacher was trying to say "It doesn't matter what color you are, we all have opportunities based on different things."

That being said, because you turned it into a white privilege lesson, I gotta say, Where was white privilege for Irish slaves? Where is white privilege for white homosexual males wanting to get married and adopt children? Where is white privilege for white disabled veterans? The list goes on and on. And that's exactly why I don't think privilege exists.

originally posted by: amazing
LOL

You mean that you guys, don't see an advantage to being white...in America? It's an advantage. It shouldn't be, but it is. Not like it used to be..but there is still a small advantage to being white...and male and heterosexual...and Christian.

God forbid if you are born into a single parent family, are black, an atheist and Gay and female! You're going to have a really hard time rising up in the world. But, of course, it can be done. This thread isn't about how to take hold of opportunities, only that some of us or you or them are born into a better life than others and have more obstacles to overcome in getting ahead in life.

Why do you guys not get that? It's not racist to say that, just honest.

Guess what that's life. Some people have advantages.

And someone people don't.

However the message here should be.

Never ever, ever allow this to stop you from achieving your goals.

No matter who has the advantage.

originally posted by: grey580

originally posted by: amazing
LOL

You mean that you guys, don't see an advantage to being white...in America? It's an advantage. It shouldn't be, but it is. Not like it used to be..but there is still a small advantage to being white...and male and heterosexual...and Christian.

God forbid if you are born into a single parent family, are black, an atheist and Gay and female! You're going to have a really hard time rising up in the world. But, of course, it can be done. This thread isn't about how to take hold of opportunities, only that some of us or you or them are born into a better life than others and have more obstacles to overcome in getting ahead in life.

Why do you guys not get that? It's not racist to say that, just honest.

Guess what that's life. Some people have advantages.

And someone people don't.

However the message here should be.

Never ever, ever allow this to stop you from achieving your goals.

No matter who has the advantage.

I totally agree with you. I think it's a subject that we should be able to talk about though.

a reply to: amazing

Not trying to shoot holes in your beliefs here.

I have recently run across a number of people who feel similarly about this subject as you seem to.

When I ask for some sort of objective metric to determine if it is actual or anecdotal, I get nothing. Just a reiteration that this privileged exists. I was even told if I don't agree then it just makes it true. Uh huh...rhetorical fallacy much?

This 'experiment' in the OP is theater, not science.

I am still open to hear something objective supporting the hypothesis.

a reply to: ABNARTY

Yeah and if you point out examples of non-white privilege they call you racist. Many people refuse to admit whatever white privilege this country had died years ago. Sure if you're a white Ivy Leaguer's son you'll most likely get ahead. Same for the black Ivy Leaguer's son.

Regardless of the privilege the OPs link tackled, I still think it's mostly incorrect. Being born closer to the "wastebasket" means you'll have a better shot at success, in most cases things differ for everyone. But those born further away from the basket? Hard work, dedication, study, sacrifices, compromises.

In America many have noticed what has been going on, many times minorities are given more consideration.

They got a long way to go for either age hehe