View Single Post
Old 05-03-2012, 06:03 PM   #160
Saya
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,548
Quote:
Originally Posted by AshleyO View Post
Frankly, I can't say it enough that I feel incredibly bad about the privileges I have. Seriously... I just do not want them. That list I linked was interesting. I wasn't aware of how many privileges I had but I'm still not sure if these are some that I can use or if I'm guilty of using them. It does fuck with me though because if I'm cognizant of it, I do nothing much but feel guilty. Damn. I'm going to spend a long ass time feeling guilty.
Feeling guilty doesn't really help, and you can't exactly help it.

Think of it this way. There was this public meeting thing recently that an oil company held to try to make us feel better about running a pipe line into the harbour. There's this woman I know who breathes environmentalism and asked hard questions that showed that she did a lot of research and she knows what the fuck she's talking about. The speakers treated her like a little girl and didn't directly answer her at all, but gave more attention and care to the Occupy guys who asked more general questions. That's privilege in action, people listen to you and take you more seriously if you're white and male on top of that.

There's a guy I volunteer with at the crisis centre who's really awesome about that kind of thing though. He know he has privilege and like you doesn't want it, but his attitude about it is that he'll use that privilege to bring attention to that privilege and he's one of those guys that I know would have my back if something like above happened. He's brilliant at talking to other men and calling them out so we don't have to burn ourselves out trying to, and listens with a open mind and doesn't get defensive, but uses what he learns to better himself as an ally. Cool cat, that guy.
Saya is offline   Reply With Quote