The Spilling of White Privilege

You can’t help spilling your white privilege everywhere, can you? – Mark McKinney

5:34 a.m., I am up, ready to take on another day of demons, dragons, and dahlias.  I penned this yesterday knowing I would be up early; I read it to my wife, then sent it to my friend K.C. I got it approved, so although a bit spicey, I think print-worthy. And Mark, thank you for the inspiration and thought-provoking message.

I wrote yesterday about my recent finding of DEI and my thoughts about the ideas expressed by the proponents of such statements or maybe ideology. I thought I did an excellent job of explaining my stance in a nonoffensive way. But I offended my friend Mark, and I’m sorry.

But his Twitter comment did get me wondering about my white privilege. First off, I would like to say that I don’t consider myself white; today, I will identify as Olive. I think it is a more accurate color representing my tonality.   But for the sake of this piece, I’ll accept the accusation as fact. I think it is racist to prejudge a person based on their color, but I understand in these times, it is acceptable to call out and identify people based solely on their color.  By the definition of some, I am a white cis-gendered non-disabled man.

Now about the privilege aspect of the charge, I wonder what privileges I was entitled to as a baby born in Ball Memorial Hospital. I grew up in a small town in Indiana. I don’t remember getting any special passes for my color, sex, age, or any other characteristic that I did not ask for; I was born from a night of passion from my Mom and Dad, who is also Olive.

I’ve written before about my various privileges. I have great hair; I’m 6 foot tall, I keep my weight at a reasonable level, and I can cook like a woman. What is a woman? As a young man, I was cut from the Allstars by George Van Pelt, I didn’t have athletic skills, but some of my friends were born with that privilege.

I find it odd that we can judge someone on one trait and then say, you got to the head of the line because of X. I don’t remember any special favors in my 52 years on this earth, but I’m sure some could help me understand the idea behind the term white privilege. I’m not near woke enough to understand the time and honestly find it a little silly to create a series of words that have no base in reality.

If you believe that a person gets extraordinary things because of their color, I agree. My friend and colleague K.C. played two years of professional basketball in France. Without revealing his race, you would not say he had “white privilege,” yet he is one of the most successful people I know.  Is it fair or privileged to be gifted in music, math, or comedy?  K.C. will also share that racism exists in all races, not just one.

We are all born with gifts and talents, and some of us learn how to maximize what something bigger than ourselves gave us. Others blame others for their plight and scream that life is not fair. But some of us, because of things outside of our control, found joy, peace, and happiness. I’m who I am not because of my color but because of the values instilled by my parents. I learned work ethic at an early age and learned the importance of getting up early and working hard every day. 

So, if you believe in white privilege, please explain to me how it helped me in my life. I would love to hear your input and maybe educate me about some benefits that I was given because my perceived color is white. The sooner we stop talking about racism, the sooner it will stop. I do not have a racist bone in my body, and by stating that, I can be called a racist. But only when you know someone and get to know their heart can you determine their actual being and values.

Mark knows me, and based on his ideology; he feels I had rights, lights, and benefits that people that are different than me were given. I’m afraid I have to disagree, but I still consider him a friend. I like to have a different viewpoint and use my critical thinking skills to develop my views and opinions.  I know Mark feels the same.

I do not think that our country is full of racists. There are racists, I’ll admit. Two days ago, a black nationalist shot up a subway car of people, and if you go to his youtube page, he thought people of different colors should not be able to coexist. That man was a racist, pure evil, and I don’t think his lack of privilege caused his actions; I think his heart was broken by someone or something, and he used anger and hate as his moral compass. That’s cool, you can do that, but I suspect that fellow didn’t have many friends, lovers, or others.

This platform allows me to share my thoughts and ideas. If you agree with me, great; if you disagree, that’s great too. My life is full of wonderful, beautiful people who all have a different view of society. I don’t pick friends based on ideology, but I have friends that use this as a selector of their tribe. My tribe is full of individuals who think for themselves and do not buy into many of the grifts going on in society.  If you are looking for a gift, look no farther than the grift that ripped our country apart and just bought a six-million-dollar safe house. Now that is an impressive feat.

There you have it, another day, another opportunity for me to talk to sane people who are wondering what the hell is going on. Inflation is crazy; we teach kids that sex is a construct and men can menstruate. You guys are crazy, and I’m not afraid to say it.  And the red rocket flare, the bombs burst in the air, proving that our flag is still “here.”

You can’t help spilling your white privilege everywhere, can you? – Mark McKinney