White privilege

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2008
White privilege
112
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 8:24am
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilegeis when you can call yourself a "fukin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fukin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shlt" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re "untested."

White privilegeis being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

White privilegeis being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilegeis being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

And finally, White privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

PaRrIs




Edited 9/19/2008 8:59 am ET by parris04

PaRrIs

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2008
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 5:10pm
LOL - that is a vicious attack as opposed to Obama is a Muslim Terrorist Antichrist???
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2008
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 5:40pm

She is a "HE" and I can understand where "HE" is coming from. I honestly didn't think anything he wrote was racist. It was what he has seen from his prospective of how black people don't have as much advantages as white. Look at all the bashing of Obama on this very board. Posts filled with lies and hatred, smears about him and his wife,Michele. Posting pictures of Michele's face contorted. I have found plenty of despicable postings.


As far as Palin, I still think her daughter should be off limits. If her cell-phone number was posted on the internet, that is despicable. You can't blame the Democratic commitee on this, it is radical bloggers, radical bloggers from both sides, making such a sham of this election it isn't funny at all.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 5:44pm

I am sorry I thought you were a woman. Major. Kim is an


iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2001
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 5:44pm

it is radical bloggers, radical bloggers from both sides, making such a sham of this election it isn't funny at all.


iVillage Member
Registered: 09-03-2008
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 5:59pm

<>


The same can be said on both sides.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2001
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 6:03pm

Playing the race card just doesn't work any more. . .it's driving the Democrats crazy!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 6:07pm

Can you point out where in Paris' original post he called "us" racist?

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2008
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 11:02pm

1. parris, please show me where I said anything to the effect that


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-04-2005
In reply to: parris04
Fri, 09-19-2008 - 11:40pm

And you suggest that people will vote a certain way because they are white, or female.

Pot, meet kettle.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2008
In reply to: parris04
Sat, 09-20-2008 - 12:11am

It seems like you’ve got quite the racist point of view going on here. Mind if I take a look?

*** White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

Hmmm…didn’t Obama’s unwed mama get pregnant at 17? And then divorced a couple of years later? But then Obama’s a recipient of “white privilege” isn’t he? Well…at least 1/2-white privilege.

But to address the specifics of your post…you might also consider a direct comparison of the separate situations. In the “Palin” situation you’re describing, Briston Palin has gotten pregnant (only once) and is intending to keep the child and marry the father. Many situations involving minorities are quite different. The unmarried teenage woman frequently drop small herds of “welfare babies” or “anchor babies” and becomes a dependent of the State because the father is typically absentee or unwilling to pay child support. In the former situation, the people involved are acting responsibly…in the latter, not so much.

*** White privilegeis when you can call yourself a "fukin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fukin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shlt" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

That’s quite a distinction from the gangsta playas sportin’ ol’ skool hoodies and low-slung baggies an’ da bling bling, flashin’ gang signs and rappin’ ‘bout “beatin’ tha b**ch” and “pullin’ out their gat/ Rat a tat tat tat/ Lay three ***** on their backs." And still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boys (and a great absentee baby-daddies to be) rather than a thug.

http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr09-03-08.html

*** White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

Didn’t Obama attend several elementary schools and then spend many drug-filled years at four different colleges? But then, I guess we have the “1/2 white privilege” thing still going on with Barry. Personally, I think it’s commendable that Palin went thought that an advanced education was important, considering 50+% of blacks and Hispanics drop out before even graduating high school. http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_baeo.htm

I guess, in this case, “white privilege” equates with the desire to get an education and accepting the responsibility to pay for it.

*** White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re "untested."

In this case, I think you’re confusing “white privilege” with partisanship…because it’s pretty obvious that libs are trying to “tar and feather” Palin with the “inexperienced” bit. But if begin governor means you’re unprepared to be President, then I can only imagine all of the people who were “pissing themselves with laughter” when Slick Willy was elected.

The fact is Palin has had years of actual executive experience, while Barry has had none. You can look at Palin’s record and it’s pretty impressive…proving that she is bi-partisan and a reformer. Obama’s record is, well…pretty unimpressive, with no significant achievements to speak of. He’s written two books about himself, but couldn’t find the time to work on any legislation for the people of Illinois. He claims to be “an agent of change” and to be able to “reach across the aisle” but his actual record proves that’s a lie. Obama is the most liberal Senator in Congress and has voted with the Dems 97% of the time. Deny it if you will, but the FACTS speak for themselves.

*** White privilegeis being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

I think you’ve strayed a little too far out in left field with this one. Everyone is allowed to say “under God” in this country, and the reason that the founders are referenced is not to say “good enough for them, good enough for me”…but rather to place the founding PRINCIPLES into a historical context with the first amendment. I also don’t know were you got the idea that Conservatives oppose Miranda…but then you’re perceptions have been so wrong on so many things.

*** White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

Again, I think there’s a slight difference between having a “gat” tucked in the waistband of your baggies while you’re cruisin’ with your n***s through the ‘hood, and using your firearm legally for hunting or target practice that isn’t aimed at rival gang members and passers-by. Generally speaking, it’s the former, rather than the latter, that “make people immediately scared of you.”

*** White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

It seems what we have here is a huge case of “black privilege.” Kind of like blacks “owning” the “n-word.” They can say things like “I’ve never been proud of my country” or “this is a downright mean country” or be close friends with someone who feels that “America deserved 9/11” and still be considered “patriotic”…at least by the loony left.

*** White privilegeis being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but women have had the right to vote for some time now and child labor hasn’t been as issue for quite a few years…and despite his trying to take credit for it, Obama really didn’t have anything to do with those issues…or resolving any other issues for that matter. Again, I’m not sure how “white privilege” works into this diatribe. If you want to consider it a “real” attack on community organizers instead of just a “political jab” at Obama, then you’ll have to also consider Obama’s comments an attacks on small town mayors..,but then, he probably gets a pass in your eyes because of “black privilege.”

*** White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

“Black privilege” is being able to convince black people who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same black people, and made them give your party a “second look.”

*** White privilegeis being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

I guess it must be black privilege to be able to throw your personal mentor and even your own white grandmother under the bus when it becomes politically expedient and have your faithful followers apologize for you.

*** White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

Black privilege is being able to attend a racist church for 20 years, have the racist, anti-American pastor be a personal mentor, claim that you never knew anything about their extremist views and have your apologists believe you and tout you as a good, church-going Christian.

*** White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

Black privilege is the “black candidate” being fed softball questions and have people give you a pass while supporting a reporter asking a “gotcha” question with no “correct” answer to a “white candidate” and then using the unfair question to bash the white candidate.

*** White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

Black privilege is giving a pass to the black candidate after he tells us, when faced with a “troubling” time in his life…being emotionally confused…he turned to partying and drinking and drugs and then turning around and attacking the white candidate when he too was faced with a “troubling” time in his life…being tortured…when he had the honor and patriotism not to abandon his country and fellow soldiers and endure several more years of torture.

*** And finally, White privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

Black privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone with absolutely no experience and demonstrably poor judgment, running on a campaign of “crossing the aisle” and “hope and change,” to become President when his record proves that he’s voted along party lines 97% of the time and has led a campaign of lies, smears and propaganda. Black privilege is also the only thing that could possibly allow a guy to run for President who thinks that raising taxes and spending BILLIONS is “good judgment” when we’re faced with a financial crisis and his idea of leadership is “voting present” instead of offering solutions to deal with this crisis.

It looks like Black privilege could be causing a LOT of problems in this country.

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