I am not fully evolved; I am evolving. Can we start with that supposition? Please don’t hold me to the position I held a decade ago or, in some cases, even the one I held last night. It may be difficult, but I can be convinced I’m wrong.
A short list of recent subjects on which I have changed my mind: women in combat, legalized marijuana, gay marriage, white privilege. Subjects in which I have remained resolute: Trump, slave reparations, abortion, kneeling during the anthem, Eddie Money. So let’s pick one and explore it. Go ahead, choose.
Ok, you chose white privilege. Good choice, you. Now I once thought white privilege was nonsense. Privileged? I grew up working class with hardly ever an extra dime. Gimme some of that privilege, I thought, not recognizing how I already had a head start. I was basking in the glow of white privilege, but whining about the occasional cloud.
I saw a comedian once ask, if you could go up to an ice cream truck and choose your race instead of a flavor, what would you choose? I’d choose white. I’ll even narrow my choice more. I’d choose straight white male. Any straight white male who says different is flat out lying. We know we have it good. What about other races, genders and sexual preferences? I dare say more people are going to go with the straight white male option. I’ve heard the argument that white males built the world. We’ve earned our place on the top of the heap. I’m more inclined to think we’ve been lucky. And when our Chinese overlords take over, I’ll consider them lucky too.
White privilege manifests itself in myriads of ways, but let’s just mix it in with the legalization of marijuana. I was very much against legalization. I know plenty of guys who smoke it everyday. I don’t think pot is particularly harmless. I don’t like working beside guys who are high. On the other hand, I think it more benign than alcohol.
The argument that convinced me to change my mind though was the high rate of minorities arrested for low level infractions. Blacks and whites basically smoke pot at the same rates, but blacks are 3.75 times more likely to be arrested. That’s not a statistical blip, that’s institutional racism. And for me, it’s white privilege. And that’s just an infinitesimal example of how I’m kept on top and everyone else is screwed.
I’m just saying I’ll discuss anything with you from sexual harassment to Star Wars. I’m opinionated, but give it a shot. You just may change me to your way of thinking.
Note: I will never change my way of thinking on Star Wars. For the most part, it’s pure crap.
#whiteprivilege #institutionalracism
#marijuanalegalization #lastfirstkiss
#starwars #icecream
The Last First Kiss 