On the heels of the 'White Privelage' essay and the static Allia received, I just wanted to say how I think that we have a great class in regard that we have so many different people that help us to see things from different perspectives. It's great people are bold enough to speak-up, those classes are not fun where the teacher asks questions and no one even responds.
Personally, being a white American male sometimes I guess I should feel bad because I am privelaged and have an 'invisible knapsack' of tools at my disposal, a double plus, I say this both mock sarcastically but also a little in truth because like Erin was saying in class, you really can't blame people or expect them to feel bad for just being the majority race in the society they live-in, especially if they don't even realize what they have/presumably have. There's being racist and then there's going through life unknowingly being considered by others as having all the advantages, these are two different things - distant maybe, but not the same. I don't doubt that minorities, even to a certain extent women, feel like they don't have as much power or they don't have certain privelages or advantages, and I know that if I were to wake-up and have to be someone else I know I would not like being treated differently - but the fact of the matter is I don't know if there has ever been a society where both men and women were equal AND there was not even just one single minority living within the society that felt that they were regarded as equals to the majority. I do believe white privelage exists and that it's bad because everyone is equal and this country is supposed to represent feedom, but I guess I'm trying to say I don't understand how it could be fixed and I don't like feeling bad just because I am a white male. On days where I just think "I don't really like my life too much right now," I remind myself of where I could be waking-up in the world, what I could be waking-up to, etc ... and I just feel glad to be an American citizen where if anyone really has an opportunity to make a difference in the world, they have a pretty good chance in the USA, to me that's become like my American Dream, the freedom of speech to cause change. I heard somewhere to never discourage progress, no matter how slow, because progress is still progress.
Josh-
Very insightful post.
It's true...there is not a single society in this world where some form of prejudice does not exist towards a person or group of people. Right or wrong, we all have some prejudices, even if we try to convince ourselves we do not. It is human nature.
In the US,White privlage does exist, and so does male privlage. We can't help the fact that we were born white males. Don't feel guilty. Instead, all of us in the "privilaged class" must remember that fact, and do everything in our power to advocate for others, and acceptiing of ALL people.
You are right, each and every one of us CAN make a difference. And even the small things will lead to that ever important progress we all hope for.
-Berne
PS- If y'all are phasing out non class comments, I'll be happy to quit and wish you the best for the rest of the semester...
Posted by: Berne at November 3, 2004 11:03 PMHey, Berne, it's up to the individual poster, so if Josh is okay with your leaving comments, I'm okay with it.
Posted by: Clancy at November 3, 2004 11:46 PM