I keep saying the topic of white privilege being equated to white guilt ... [View all]

[1StrongBlackMan]

as if the former is at all related to the later. More troubling is the concurrent argument, "I can't/refuse to feel guilt for that which I had no hand in creating."

Here's a Thought Exercise:

Imagine you joined a group. Upon joining you are introduced to the members. Being the smart and quick study that you are, you commit the names to memory and as the respectful person that you are, one use the member's name, whenever you address them.

During the gathering, one of the member who was introduced to you as "Piggy" (she/he is slightly over-weight), makes a particularly insightful and cogent point, which you acknowledge, by saying, "'Piggy' here has a good point." Then, he/she makes another, then another, point that you find to be spot on ... clearly, "Piggy" is one of the brighter, more insightful people in the room.

After the event, while having coffee you strike up a conversation with "Piggy" ... and find that he/she really enjoys the intellectual stimulation that the group offers; but he/she confides that she/he is deeply hurt by people calling her/him "Piggy", and that he/she prefers her/his given name, "Bobby/Bobbie."

In subsequent meetings, people continue referring to her/him as "Piggy" ... but you, with the knowledge that that name is offensive to him/her, refrain and refer to "Piggy" as Bobbie/Bobby.

Now ... you have several choices: you can raise the issue, expressing to the larger group that she/he is offended by the name; you can express to the larger group that she/he is offended by the name, AND express that because you are aware that the name is offensive to him/her, you also find it offensive and appeal to the group to recognize the offensiveness of the conduct; or, you can remain silent and allow the practice to continue ... after all, you had/have nothing to do with Bobby/Bobbie being over weight, nor did you have anything to do with the group's using that name.

Which course do take? And, do any of these paths express guilt?