An interesting exchange about white privilege in the comments of the DWB story I posted earlier

[El_Johns]

90. Yes, but notice how the acts of official power created both those realities.

By making civil rights the law of the land, and enforcing it, and promulgating that POV in the media, social practices changed, and in consequence fundamental attitudes changed. I was also alive and aware during the civil rights era and I know what a huge difference there was in American life just between 1960 and 1970.

Reagan began to create a space for socially acceptable racism, and that space expanded *because it was encouraged by power*. And again, as a consequence, practices that weren't formerly socially acceptable became so.

Why are we even discussing an abominations like "Stand your ground" in public? Was there some mass upswelling of desire from the general public for such laws? NO. They were promoted and publicized by people in power, for reasons of politics and power, some of which ordinary people will never even know or understand.

The majority of people typically have no reaction to the acts of power unless they're directly affected. Even then, it's usually only to complain -- unless a vehicle is provided for their dissent. "Acknowledging white privilege" is not a vehicle.