Tim Wise on White Privilege and the Boston Marathon Bombing

[hfojvt]

4. I guess we need people like Tim Wise

to turn the Boston Marathon bombing into an attack on white people.

I know you don't want to hear this Tim, but you have the privilege of being paid to write stupid articles about white privilege.

Since only Muslims would be targets here, you might call it non-muslim privilege, but unlike other privileges of say, having servants to do your cooking, cleaning, driving and gardening, or the privilege of being paid well to do a job that gives status and is intellectually rewarding, this privilege simply consists in "the "privilege" of being able to live your life without one very specific paranoid fear".

And since most white people probably live their lives with many other fears, like I dunno, will I keep my job, will I get this good job that I applied for, will I be able to pay rent, what happens if I get sick, are my family and friends safe, etc., etc., etc. to NOT have this one little specific fear seems pretty darn trivial in the big scheme of things.

And the truth is Tim, that if I lived like you I might believe in white privilege too, because I would enjoy the privileges that you do and perhaps be blind enough to think that every other white person enjoys them too. So, yes, let's talk about privileges, shall we?

1. What do you do for a living? Something you hate, or something you love?
2, When you get home from work, does your back hurt, your feet throb, do you have a variety of cuts and bumps from your day's labors. Do your knees hurt?
3. Is your income above the median income, or below the median income?
3.5. Do you get paid vacations, paid sick leave, paid holiday and have a pension?
3.6 Does your job come with health insurance?
4. Does your income put you in the top quintile, or the bottom quintile?
5. Does your job carry a positive status, or a negative one?
6. Are you married or single? If you are single, is it by your choice?
7. Is your car less than five years old, or more than ten years old?
8. Is your home less than ten years old, or more than 100 years old?
9. Do you own or rent?

See, those are examples of privileges. Things that when people have them they are better off than people who don't have them. I am guessing, Mr. Unwise, that you have most of those privileges. Am I right, or am I wrong? Inquiring minds want to know.

Here's another clue though, lots and lots of white people, myself included, do NOT have those privileges, and so, yes it is more than a little bit irritating for somebody in YOUR shoes to tell somebody in MY shoes how privileged he is. I really have got your privilege right here.