The movement Black Lives Matter was a joke to me, I don’t think only black lives matter, all lives matter. The movement was loud, ignorant, and fell into the category of things that did not affect me so I chose not to care about.
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh explores how it is to be a white woman in society can fall back onto this invisible tent …show more content…
made to protect and advance specific people. Racism was not a big to me, grew up in a diverse city where the only privilege that existed was being rich. Peggy argues that white privilege is a hidden advantage of special provisions, maps, passports, visas, clothes, blank check, and much more. (CITE)
Privilege is not just about money, it is beyond what I and perhaps others think the meaning of privilege is, it is hidden so that people will riot over the stepping stools others have that we may never get.
The goal is for “them” to be more like “us,” but what defines the “us” that makes them so special.
Yet, I have not witnessed being unprivileged because of my skin, I can now understand how the movement of Black Lives Matter is shining light on the invisible privilege that exist for the white community. Slavery may have ended, but the power is still in the hands of those who deemed white worthy and colored not. Black lives matter is all lives matter, equality between all, a stepping stool for all. The movement is shared across the world not to simply tell society what it is they are doing wrong, but to ignite the movement against the social structure that has been built to benefit whites.
Racism is still alive and well in 2017. To be born white means in the United States means to be born with an advantage. Children do not know this of course, society lets it happen, the social structure lets this happen. That is was is at fault that those the voice of power keep it …show more content…
going.
The United States this great nation that boast about its diversity, opportunity, and freedom is hiding dark secrets. We as a nation are lead to believe in the power of democracy and equality but as Peggy states democracy is simply a myth. These advantages that do exist are only open to a small portion of this enormous nation.
The Clan of One-Breasted Women by Terry Tempest Williams argues that when it is for the greatest good, those on the other end are forced to sacrifice themselves and keep silent. Inequality has always existed in the United States, in many different aspects that it become the social norm. Williams states that when herself and a group of women decided that their inequality, their sacrifice has gone on too long they chose to be the voice for all those lying on the other end of the stick. History has proven that when a voice sheds light on what wrong the government or those in power are doing, those in power will act to demean the voice and keep society’s eyes blind. That is how it always seemed to work.
The constitution is for the people and by the people, the government runs by the constitution, but the government holding the title of for the people has been wrong all the while. Nor is it only by the decision to sacrifice people in Nevada or Utah because they are opportunity cost of creating a nuclear bomb, but by the inequality to sacrifice higher wages for women so that men hold the social norm as being better than women. The school systems add to this by separating young boys and girls based off their gender in the activities that they may take part in.
In many aspects besides those listed or brought up inequality, privilege, exist. The inequality has become the norm that people like myself who have the constructed set of views do not question it. The views have worked for those in power that is why it still exist to this day, passed on by generation and generation. Lead to believe that the people are the voice, but in fact it is the voice of the power implemented in our ear and out our mouth.
Power is what has set the stage for privilege, inequality, hierarchy, for it all. To obtain power over anything is what this nation has turned into. The sacrifice of people to obtain nuclear power over others was worth the sacrifice. Everything comes with a cost, whether we will choose to reconstruct the power system is up to the people. (Peggy)
Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress by Howard Zinn argues for the voices of those lost. The argument is not meant to choose a side, but bring into light the true facts. The truth that was brought to light by Howard Zinn confirms the arguments made about privilege in The Clan of One-Breasted Women and White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. As a race, we have allowed for privilege to become as strong as it is because of our blind obedience.
Howard Zinn argues that we are shown what it is that those in power want us to. The challenge should be accepted for humans to know it all, how everything was and is brought together. The truth should be the factor that allows for our voice to be formed. Voice is lost
Christopher Columbus went to the Bahaman Islands seeking gold. The factor of Natives living on the island, the island being their land did not faze Columbus. The same thing happened when establishing the United States, the land was never the settlers yet with their advantages from their home country they knew they can take what was not theirs. The taking from the Natives was the small cost of gain.
Evident to what has been states in all three of these readings them exist a need for advantage even when unnecessary.
The United States like many other countries runs on a hierarchy of power. Power defines humans, we have it over land, animals, privilege, protection, anything. We do not all have it however, we are lead to believe that power is in all of us, but in fact it is not. Power is focused towards a small group that decides it all, the government.
Before these readings my understanding on power was that it was a good thing, but I have come to see that power is source of inequality, privilege, oppressions, it is the good and the bad. The power we have is shared as something that was earned, but it was earned just taken.
There is need for opinion even if it does not affect one. Opinion, using our voice takes the invisible and makes it visible for all to see. Without opinions or voice people walk blind, unknowing off all the forces against them because it is not spoken. Their needs to be an end to the hiding and the degrading, no one is worthy over another. The United States is not about the people I see, it is about the
achievement.
These reading are not necessarily there to degrade the United States or society, but to highlight the conformity that exist, the loss of power in voice. These readings gave a person with no care for the whole political system a reason to have an opinion and share it to make an end to this madness. Thinking is such a selfish act that needs to be expanded into consideration so much more than just the single mind.