
It’s time to stop guilt tripping white people - jp_sc
http://thewisesloth.com/2016/03/27/its-time-to-stop-guilt-tripping-white-people/
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emjoes1
Well this article nailed one thing "apathy". I just don't give a shit anymore.
College burned me out with preaching about diversity and the media and SJW's
are burning me out on hearing about this shit. As a white male that grew up
poor and has paid for everything I own and struggled to finish an undergrad
(which left me in debt), I do not feel privileged. I feel tired... and I'm
only 34. So now I am a selfish bastard that only cares about the needs of my
family.

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richmarr
This sounds awfully like #NotAllMen but for s/sexism/racism/

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smt88
This is attacking a straw man. People aren't trying to guilt-trip white
people, although guilt is a negative, unintended side-effect of the real
effort.

The real effort is for white people to understand their privilege. The article
addresses this:

> _not all white people are majestically privileged_

This is simply untrue. There were explicitly, literally racist federal housing
policies until only a few decades ago. Law enforcement is still racist. For
example, more black people are arrested for drug use than white people, even
though all races use drugs at roughly the same rate.

The degree to which white people are privileged varies a lot, and some white
people are genuinely not benefiting at all from their privilege. Society
should do something about that. Solutions for black people should serve people
of all races.

White people shouldn't be guilt tripped, but they shouldn't argue that they
don't have automatic advantages from being white, either.

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13thLetter
What do you think you're gaining by walking up to a white homeless man
freezing on the street and explaining to him how much better his life is
because of his "privilege"?

If you think that was an unfair summary, well, a) it was, and b) it also quite
clearly explains why "privilege" is a losing argument if you're actually
interested in increasing the amount of justice in this world. Privilege sounds
automatically unfair and feels unfair and people's minds will slam shut. Do
you really want to expand the reach of your ideas, as opposed to just virtue-
signal to fellow activists? Then drop "privilege."

~~~
rewqfdsa
I agree. I'm a white guy who's gone through some very difficult stuff. When
SJWs talk to me about my privilege, it just enrages me. Academic left
discourse turned me from a middle-of-the-road guy to someone adamantly against
the entire program of social justice.

