Does "White Privilege" Exist? 

After quickly pointing to Jenna's post, I decided I really need to write more in depth on this here. For those who think I'm always right (and gauging by the general lack of comments I tend to receive, you must) and just want the short answer... the answer is no, it does not exist.

Now the long answer, and this is going to be long. While I don't think "White Privilege" exists, there is definitely family and community privilege. I'll get to potential solutions for this at the end, but first to privilege. A lot of people who say it doesn't exist, or advocate against affirmative action, tend to talk about how they got to where they are through their own hard work, and everyone has an equal chance to do the same. The discussions tend to focus on what they did for themselves, as if that achievement existed in a vacuum.

As I look back on my life so far, I can't say this to be true. Saying that where I am today is the result of only my work is an insult to many good people. It's insulting to my mother who raised me as a single parent for most of my adolescence. She provided for me, taught me much, and made sure that when she couldn't help me, she found someone who would. It's an insult to my uncle, who in the absence of a real father, tried very hard to be one for me. It's an insult to my grandmother, who not only raised two wonderful children of her own, but also gave much to me as well. She provided a perspective on her generation that many people never get. In fact, I should probably post on some Grandma-isms, because her thoughts deserve to be shared, especially now that she has gone. She helped me to buy my first car, which gave me the mobility and freedom I needed in college to do many of the things I did. It's an insult to my sisters, and my brother-in-laws, who helped at various times in my life as well and in more ways that I can properly mention here. And I haven't even begun to talk about friends and neighbors who have supported me along the way.

Of course, where would any of my family or friends have been without their parents, extended family, and friends? We are are the product of not only our own achievements, but also the achievements of those who came before us. They gave me an advantage in life which I can't even begin to properly repay them for. Hopefully, some day, I will be able to provide that same advantage to children of my own. Until that time comes, I try to provide that support and advantage back to my family and friends wherever I can.

But is any of that "white privilege"? Absolutely not. It's life. It's family. It's community. And I'm not saying I had it easy. I worked hard in high school to get a decent scholarship into MSOE, without which I might not have been able to attend college. I worked part time jobs throughout school to make up the difference because, while not poor, my family isn't rich, and scholarships weren't enough. I then took what I learned, and have built a strong career, which is very much the result of my own hard work.

Some would argue that it is in fact "white privilege" because for a long time, people of other races were not allowed, through laws and racism, the same opportunity to create advantage to pass on to their own children. Members of minorities today, it's argued, are then behind white people because of it. I can't deny that there is some truth to that. It would be disingenuous to try.

So is affirmative action the solution to this problem? I don't think so. What's worse, is that I don't think there is a solution that anyone would like. The civil rights movement has done much to level the playing field in law for minorities so that they can finally begin to build up the same advantage that they can pass on as everyone else. But is it also the role of government to use something like affirmative action to give them an extra boost of advantage right now?

If we say that it is, that would mean that affirmative action is really a punitive measure against the children of white people for the advantages they were passed from their parents. It's saying that the advantages I received from my family were somehow ill-gotten, and that I need to repay that advantage back to others. It also says that all white people received equal advantage. This is definitely not true, as some families, no matter what their race, provided different advantage (or none at all) to their children. It also says that the families of minorities passed on no advantages of their own, which is insulting to them to say the least.

What's worse, affirmative action doesn't give advantage to minorities which they can pass on to their children. Instead, it gives disadvantage to white people. Instead of lifting one group up to the level of the other, it knocks another group down to the level of the other. People then begin to depend on government to continue knocking people down, instead of depending on their family, friends, community, and most importantly themselves, to lift each other up.

Disadvantage is not an insurmountable barrier. The fact that it exists is certainly sad, but also can't be helped. People need to be responsible for overcoming whatever disadvantage they start with. The government's only job, is to make sure that everyone is treated fairly in the eyes of the law, so that anyone has an equal chance to overcome their own disadvantages. And we all have them.