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You're effectively saying that white people should pay for the sins of their ancestors. Instead of making this about race I wish that they would make it about s

You're effectively saying that white people should pay for the sins of their ancestors. Instead of making this about race I wish that they would make it about socioeconomic status. How is it fair that I, a white guy from a poor family with no college connections, should have a harder time gaining entry to college solely because of the color of my skin for things I didn't even do.

Osmium 9y ago
For the record, I’m also a white guy from a poorer family with no college connections. And we don’t bear the sins of our forefathers. That doesn’t mean we don’t benefit from them. I worked hard, I got lucky, but I can’t pretend my priviledge doesn’t also exist. That a minority with my background wouldn’t have had to work even harder. I’m not saying it’s fair. As I said, I don’t know where I stand on affirmative action. I think there’s a fundamental tension there. But what LBJ said in that speech feels true to me.
- eropple 9y ago
  Seriously. This is the invisible knapsack writ large. As a white dude from a family with no college connections, I was still basically allowed to half-ass my way into a career where I make $150K a year through a college that was all-too-happy to accept me. "Privilege" is an uncountable part of that "luck" everybody in our shoes needs to recognize exists. That's why the concept is a thing in the first place.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
davewritescode 9y ago
You’re not paying for the sins of your ancestors. Being a white guy gives you an advantage in the world whether you want to admit it or not. Instead of complaining about how unfair the world is to you as a white man, go do what black men in this country have had to do for centuries. Suck it up, work your ass off and make something of yourself and stop fucking complaining about how unfair it all is. My biggest problem with the US is how out of control whiny we’ve become
- wallace_f 9y ago
  So that's what we say to the guy who scored 89% on his MCAT and didn't get accepted when a person who scored 59% walks in front of him because they had the right skin color the admission committee wanted. "Oh whether you can see it or not you are super privileged and just didn't work hard enough?" What??

Osmium 9y ago

For the record, I’m also a white guy from a poorer family with no college connections. And we don’t bear the sins of our forefathers. That doesn’t mean we don’t benefit from them. I worked hard, I got lucky, but I can’t pretend my priviledge doesn’t also exist. That a minority with my background wouldn’t have had to work even harder. I’m not saying it’s fair. As I said, I don’t know where I stand on affirmative action. I think there’s a fundamental tension there. But what LBJ said in that speech feels true to me.

eropple 9y ago
Seriously. This is the invisible knapsack writ large. As a white dude from a family with no college connections, I was still basically allowed to half-ass my way into a career where I make $150K a year through a college that was all-too-happy to accept me. "Privilege" is an uncountable part of that "luck" everybody in our shoes needs to recognize exists. That's why the concept is a thing in the first place.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

davewritescode 9y ago

You’re not paying for the sins of your ancestors. Being a white guy gives you an advantage in the world whether you want to admit it or not. Instead of complaining about how unfair the world is to you as a white man, go do what black men in this country have had to do for centuries. Suck it up, work your ass off and make something of yourself and stop fucking complaining about how unfair it all is. My biggest problem with the US is how out of control whiny we’ve become

wallace_f 9y ago
So that's what we say to the guy who scored 89% on his MCAT and didn't get accepted when a person who scored 59% walks in front of him because they had the right skin color the admission committee wanted. "Oh whether you can see it or not you are super privileged and just didn't work hard enough?" What??