Comments on: I am the direct beneficiary of White Privilege

By: Ethan Paulsen

Ethan Paulsen — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 14:51:52 +0000

I think one of the reasons that we don’t like to talk about privilege is that we (in the west) are trained to think individualistically. I’ve struggled with this. After all, I am not a racist. I am not rich. So there must not be a problem. Until we start seeing ourselves as part of a larger system, in which every group is not on equal footing, we will always have a large group of people who cringe and plug their ears whenever someones mentions privilege of any kind.

By: Mike Frost

Mike Frost — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 12:25:23 +0000

In reply to Steve Graham. I don't disagree. But this article has been read thousands of times and has hundreds of shares on social media. So, while 'white privilege' might be a loaded term as you say it is not inaccurate and it attracts attention to an important issues. Yes, it does concern economic inequality. But it's an inequality that finds its roots in racism. If a loaded term like white privilege gets the story read and encourages people to consider the reality of our situation that's a good thing, isn't it?

By: Steve Graham

Steve Graham — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 06:37:13 +0000

Good article, and very true, but ‘white privilege’ is to my mind an extremely unhelpful term to use.

One problem with the term ‘white privilege’ firstly is that it is quite loaded and divisive, so isn’t helpful in changing peoples attitudes. But the main problem it implies that it is still mostly a racism problem.

You are the direct beneficiary of racist policies and systemic discrimination, yes, but the ‘white privilege’ that was an outcome of that is actually a subset of entrenched economic inequality. This is why the situation doesn’t improve as general attitudes become less racist. In fact, if somehow everybody completely stopped being racist tomorrow, we would still have the exact same problems in outcomes for indigenous and other minority groups, because while they were started by racism, they are now maintained and exacerbated by economics.

While calling out racism is good, we are missing a huge piece of the puzzle by not fighting entrenched economic inequality in all its forms (and the flawed political and economic ideologies that cause it), and the term ‘white privilege’ simply distracts us from the main underlying problems.

By: Sue Scott

Sue Scott — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 04:42:29 +0000

My dad also served in the war but never was involved in any direct action. He received a gold card as well. My family, with 5 children, also benefitted from universal child endowment that wasn’t means tested. There were also tax deductions for spouse and dependents so no income tax was paid and disposable income was likely 3% above earned income. Once married my mother never needed to get a job and could spend her days involved in church and volunteering. (Probably raising money for the poor Aboriginal children on missions!) Both my parents were remembered as hard working but no mention is made of the generous government support given to white middle class families.
It’s disgusting how the Aboriginal veterans were treated.

By: Melony

Melony — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 01:11:52 +0000

In reply to John Longard. Thank you so much for your thoughts. It helps me know someone white really understands!

By: JLH

JLH — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 15:52:38 +0000

In reply to clare. Hey Clare, I appreciate your response what about the article. Would you be willing to explain what is it about the article that annoys you? I think that it's important that we discuss certain social constructs and why they bother us.

By: Phil Crawford

Phil Crawford — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 07:23:34 +0000

I grew up in NSW mainly. Dad was a minister.
I remember one time when a group came to town who were trying to get Aborigines into local public swimming pools. They didn’t have any problems in our city and I was proud of that for years.
I remember a couple of the Aboriginal kids from school. They were fantastic athletes and as the slowest runner in my year I admired them and was jealous.
Many years later, through work, I travelled around NSW and visited places where there had been problems and drove by where ‘our’ Aborigines came from.
I think that we were comfortable and apparently welcoming because we had ‘our’ Aborigines living 50 miles (80 km) away. Out of sight, out of mind.
This brought some perspective.

By: Mike Frost

Mike Frost — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 07:18:49 +0000

Not offering benefits to black returned servicemen meant that a whole generation of indigenous Australians started behind the eight ball while my white generation got to steam ahead. It’s an inadvertent form of social engineering whose effects will be felt for years to come.

By: Ernest Lopez

Ernest Lopez — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 05:56:20 +0000

In reply to clare.

One injustice is not compensated by another. But without a more profound understanding of humanity’s spiritual and emotional immaturity we human beings like children feel we need to pay back in kind. We want to ‘get even’. The alternative would be to treat everyone alike but if through social injustice some are deprived it is reasonable to help the.individual who’s normal development has been delayed or stunted as the result of deprivation ;without cutting off someone else’s wings. The human race is the same wherever its habitat.
The Golden Rule applied universally would leave no room for tit for tat type of response. If we are to truly love our fellows we must genuinely forgive and keep our hearts free of rancor.

By: clare

clare — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 04:58:10 +0000

True enough for Australia but sadly not true in some parts of the world. My sister-in-law (in South Africa) is one of many white people told by her company that they will never get a promotion. My brother-in-law left because his sons could never follow in his trade, because apprenticeships were no longer available for white people.
Not saying we can’t make amends to Aborigines here but headlines like this annoy me.