On privilege
I recently unfollowed someone on Instagram because they refused to acknowledge their privilege. I don’t say this to act holier than thou. It’s just a fact. I don’t want to be around people who refuse to acknowledge that privilege exists.
I am insanely privileged. The colour of your skin. The quality of the water you drink. It shouldn’t exist. Everyone should be treated equally and fairly. Be we’re not. Yes, the world sucks. But what makes it suck even more is people with privilege refusing to accept the p word.
I’ve had this argument with my Husband who didn’t want to, couldn’t, see that the colour of his skin and the fact that he was a man meant that he was inherently privileged. He’s since come around to the idea and can admit this. Now we both can see without rose coloured glasses.
The fact you live somewhere with an air conditioner and not have to worry about affording to turn it on.
Buying your child a dental appliance and knowing that in a year you’ll need to spend $6,000 to get her another and that’s fine.
Heck, being able to afford basic dental care for a family of three.
Being white.
Everything that I have that gives me a leg up in this world. Of course, I don’t want to be treated differently, treated better, because of the colour of my skin. But I am. There’s no use denying it. We all need to recognise our privilege and call people out on their own.
Yes, I went to university and I have debts because of that. Yes, nobody helped me pay for my books and my family sucked and I have had a lot of bad in my life. But I still have privilege. And I’m okay with saying that.
It needs to be said. It needs to be acknowledged. It needs to be called out.
Saying that you’re privileged is not inherently wrong. Living in a world with blinders on, assuming you only got so “lucky” because you worked hard, is. Stop ignoring it. Start realising that not everyone has the same 24 hours you have.
Our differences make us special. Not acknowledging privilege exists, and that you have it, makes you an ass.