The meaning of privilege has been perverted

I was watching sports this weekend when a young black woman appeared in a commercial. I just caught the tail end of it as she said her goal was to get a degree in medicine, become a doctor, and help "under-privileged" children.

My first thought was, "Isn't that nice." Then I began thinking about the term "privilege." I had seen that word somewhere before. Yes, it was a story about a recent White Privilege Conference held in Madison, Wisconsin.

Progressive Democrats treat doctors like greedy money grubbers. Would they do this to a hard working black young lady once she did all that it takes to become a doctor? Maybe so. Wouldn't she as a doctor become a person of privilege?

To help me understand the nature of the privilege concept I went to the website: whiteprivilegeconference.com

They actually provided six examples of "Privilege." According to this organization you enjoy privilege if your are able to:

1.      Assume that most of the people you or your children study in history classes and textbooks will be of the same race, gender, or sexual orientation as you are.

2.      Assume that your failures will not be attributed to your race or your gender

3.      Assume that if you work hard and follow the rules, you will get what you deserve

4.      Success without other people being surprised; and without being held to a higher standard

5.      Go out in public without fear of being harassed or constantly worried about physical safety

6.      Not have to think about your race, or your gender, or your sexual orientation, or disabilities, on a daily basis.

I am not sure why they call their conference a "white privilege" conference. Those of the same race, gender, and sexual orientation of people alive when our great, great grandparents were alive seems pretty irrelevant. And why would you blame your failures on your race or gender? Are they are your failures of someone else's? And how do you not get what you deserve unless someone steals what you earn? Taxing your earnings and passing those dollars on to someone who did not work for them is the most common way to do it.

People perverting the term privilege don't understand the fundamental basis for success. Success means not caring what other people think let alone whether they are surprised or not surprised by your success. Successful people don't waste time caring about others preconceived notions. And being held to a higher standard is silly? Success is all about holding yourself to the highest standards. Success has nothing to do with worrying about others in some arbitrary group setting standards too low. Going out in public and being harassed or constantly worrying about physical safety is a law enforcement issue. People who exercise their conceal and carry gun rights under the 2nd Amendment don't worry as much about such things as unarmed people. And who HAS TO think about their race or sexual orientation on a daily basis? You never HAVE TO think about your race or who you prefer to have sex with unless you choose to do so. As for thinking about your gender, we have separate toilets for a reason. Deal with it. And finally, if you don't have disabilities you are lucky. Since most people are not disabled are they all lucky? What about FDR was he privileged or not?

It would seem that there is an emphasis on white males having privilege. But try telling that to the tens of millions of white males living in poverty.

What about the following list of powerful, highly admired, and influential people? Do these accomplished Americans enjoy privilege? Senator Tim Scott, Larry Elder, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker, J.C. Watts, Crystal Wright, Charles Payne, Ken Blackwell, La Shawn Barber, Herman Cain, Antony Davies, Lurita Doan, Niger Innis, Cherylyn Harley LeBon, DeRoy Murdock, Harry Jackson Jr., Allen West, Armstrong Williams, Ben Carson, Alan Keyes, Mia Love, Rod Paige, Condoleeza Rice, Michael Steele, Lynn Swan, Clarence Thomas, T.W. Shannon, Wayne Dupree, Deneen Borelli, Jesse Lee Peterson, Angela McGlowan, Shelby Steele, Ward Connerly, Mychal Massie, Robert George, Janice Rogers Brown, Roy Innis, James Golden, Amy Holmes, Alfonzo Rachel, and Erik Rush are all successful. All have studied American History and are admirers of America's accomplishments regardless of what group the contributors came from. Each has taken responsibility for and overcome their own failures. Each has played by the rules. Each has watched the government take away a significant portion of what they earned and give that portion to others who did not "deserve" it. Each has held themselves to a high standard and not wasted energy worrying about someone else being surprised by their successes. Each has at one time or another, like everyone else, been harassed about something or afraid for their physical safety. Each has overcome unjustified harassment and fear. And each of these people lives their lives to the fullest without reservation about some word perversion as vague and slippery as "privilege."
Want more? Each of these great Americans has some white blood. Some have Native American blood too. Some have African blood. Some have African-American blood. Some have Asian blood. Some have Hispanic blood. None of these winners much cares about things like skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. They all understand that when their government takes away money they earn and then wastes it on bureaucracy, that is when they don't get what they deserve.

But of course these people don't fit the pop culture narrative of "under-privilege." The privileges they have and enjoy they worked for just like everyone else.
 
Privilege is a word progressive Democrats use to fog the road to success. They try to use it to diminish the need for effort.......lots of effort. Putting off gratification now for more later? Forget it. Not having privilege is a ready-made excuse for people who want to blame their choice failures on others. It is the ultimate shield providing bad choices an excuse from taking personal responsibility.
We should all hope the young black woman in the commercial becomes a doctor. Perhaps she can make some money, raise a family, and teach hers and other American young people to work hard, set high standards, take personal responsibility for their outcomes.

Not buying in to the narrative that institutionalizes failure and licenses staying on the dole as justified by what our great, great, great, great, great, grandfathers did or didn't do is the first step to earning "privilege."