In it, he quotes why whites can get away with crap no one else could:
To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.
And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.
Thanks for the link :) I want to let the record show, however, that your italicized portion of your blog isn't a direct quote from me; that's a quote from the original author of the concept, Tim Wise. Just a disclaimer. Carry on!
ReplyDeleteYou are quite correct. That is why I used the phrase, "he quotes."
ReplyDeleteDan, follow the links and read all the posts. Then come back and tell us how your comment makes sense.
ReplyDeleteBut in the meantime, thanks for making us all feel smarter already.
I often thought the same about these "concealed carry" demonstrations, too. What if a group of young, African American males were walking around with legally purchased guns strapped to their hips? Would the same people be demonstrating for their right to carry, too?
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ReplyDeleteDan, you should google up all the Tim Wise you can. He really hits it on the head when it comes to white privilege.
ReplyDeleteI love Limbaughs quote about people standing up for their rights. Rights? If these rights are defined by the organizers -- Americans for Prosperity et al, those would be the right to be denied health insurance coverage, the right to be bilked by financial companies, the right to have access to the internet limited, the right to have your job sent over seas, the right for 1% of the country to own 95% of the assets.
Or are you too much of a right wing tool to perceive these rights?