White Privilege Does Not Exist – It is a Myth
A current phenomenon has appeared on the cultural landscape foisting mythical,
devious, diabolical intentions wherever we look. Colleges and universities – formerly
bastions of free speech and thinking, of learning of new ideas – now give credence to
the position that words can offend, actually cause damage to the psyche simply by
hearing them. “Safe spaces,” coloring books, animals to be petted are offered
routinely in colleges like lollipops were once offered to kindergartners who
suffered a bruised knee or a nosebleed.
These actions have only emboldened the demands and placed them on the altar of
victim hood. Many young people today seem to believe there is a constitutional
amendment to shelter them from ever being offended – at any cost. Or the religion they
practice must have a commandment against any offense, perceived or otherwise.
When I went to NYC to view a world traveling museum exhibit, it was a dark, cold winter
night. Exiting the museum in freezing, pouring rain, I tried hailing a cab to
Penn Station for my train ride to my suburban home. A cabby pulled up, lowered
the passenger side window and asked, “Where to?”
My answer was not to his liking (not lucrative enough?), and away he splashed.
Honestly, his race is undetermined due to the rain, lack of lighting but I believe in
today's atmosphere and, were I black, it may have been (mis-)interpreted as racist. If he
had been black where would the theory of white privilege be?
Michelle Obama tells the story of how she was asked by a white supermarket shopper to
reach an item from a shelf above the woman's head as an example of racism/white
privilege. This strikes me as an example of courtesy. I, a vertically challenged white
woman, have on more than one occasion asked a passing, fellow customer to hand me
some item beyond my reach – never considering anyone's race/color. That way of
thinking smacks of hypersensitivity and is extremely divisive.
This is a country whose electorate twice chose a black man as president, where Oprah
is often touted as one of the world's richest woman; where writers, actors singers,
entertainers have been recognized for their skills, talents since the 19th century:
Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, Louie Armstrong, Tina Turner, Sidney
Poitier, Sammy Davis, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Beyonce, Spike Lee and so on.
It goes without saying how many sports figures are making millions and more and were
they in the African country where their ancestors were enslaved the opportunity does not
exist there today.
There is no other country in the world where these achievements are even possible. In
US football and basketball blacks are dominant.
My son worked in a restaurant while attending college. At that time in the county where
we resided, the police had a practice of remaining nearby around bars/restaurants where
young people gathered. They would ticket those under the influence for DUI or DWI.
The automobiles were impounded and later sold at auction. As my son, who was bar
tending wearing tuxedo pants, a cummerbund, and black tie, was pulled over on his way
out of the parking lot. They had him exit the car. As he gestured to his attire the officers
roughed him up. He was let go as they realized he'd not been drinking. And he was
allowed to keep the brand new car he bought and paid for. Perhaps this could have been
racism - but for the fact that all parties were white. Could it have been white privilege?
There is much evidence that police often exceed the power their job entitles them. But
this neither supports the theory of “systemic racism” nor that of “white privilege.”
As a passenger in a late model Mercedes driven by a well dressed 60ish white man, who,
while stopped at a traffic light, had his vehicle hit by a group of scruffy looking teens in
the other.
When a police officer arrived on the scene, any bystander could not help but notice the
polite, almost deferential manner in which the officer spoke to the occupants of one
vehicle and the demeaning accusatory he used to the other group.
White privilege? No. Racism? No. Ought the police standards and tactics be upgraded throughout the
country? Yes.
But to charge racism, white privilege, defund the police simply adds fuel to
the fire. Statistics show over and over that more whites are shot by police.
This is not a contest, however.
We must evaluate an obvious weakness in societal mores – police excess. It would not
be a surprise to find most police officers themselves would agree changes need to be
made to upgrade police behavior throughout the country. Most cops know who the bad
ones are.
Apparently, so did the Minneapolis PD, as the public found out the history of
those who killed Floyd. Perhaps police unions need to be done away with and/or
restructured?
Most thinking observers would agree changes are severely indicated, but to throw the
baby out with the bathwater, defunding, disbanding the police? Surely not.
But ostrich-like behavior, blaming racism, white privilege draws away from solving the
problem. Name calling is for school yards.
We need to have a body of knowledgeable, experienced individuals: former police
commissioners, former mayors, professors of police science, ethics, economics, etc. to
set a time frame, gather input and propose some immediate recommendations leading to
long term policies.
After listening to only one side in this recent virus emergency and not taking into
account how the cure damaged our economy beyond recognition, we see the damage
done by not evaluating the entire situation before acting.
The childish response of doing away with police, prisons, bail is a 'cure' worse than any
imaginable horror.
Before a problem can be solved it must first be identified. Therefore, if the police are
the problem and we get rid of the police, what about all the laws, prisons? Abolish
them? Then what to we need legislators for? After all they, not the police, make the
laws. Should we abolish the legislatures all over the country?
As you can see the knee-jerk reaction reflex does not work. It is not based on problem-
solving basics, logic, reason.
As Confucius say: Be careful what you wish for.
This is commentary from our members, it is not the official position of the Martin County Republican Executive Committee.