Why I hate the term "White Privilege"

I'm white, no doubt about it. My ancestors are all from England, Germany, Ireland and Scotland. My sister and many of my cousins are redheads; my family is about as white as you can get. Yet every time I hear that nasty term "white privilege", I want to freak out. I have a couple of reasons for this.

1) The term is racist. The people I hear using it use it in one of two ways. Sometimes I hear it associated with white guilt; such as "I gave up my white privilege and chose to live this way..." Often, the speaker isn't even very clear about why they feel guilty because they are white, but they know they are suppose to, so they hang their heads in the same of their skin color. I don't feel one bit guilty for being mostly Irish/Scottish; I can't help that I was born white any more then anyone of any other color has any choice over their color. My ancestors are who they are; just because they where white does not mean I'm going to feel guilty. The other way I hear the term used is like this "We've heard enough from white people, don't you think? We should hear more from people of color..." This is racist because it is separating the world into two groups; white and "of color..." When people who use this type of language say "people of color," you can almost hear the disdain and uppity attitude in their voices. They enjoy making the distinction between themselves and "people of color."

2) The term excludes people. Activists and others who use this term don't seem to realize that nobody wants to associate with a person who is breaking people into groups based on color; that just because a person is white they'll identify with "white privilege" or just because a person is a skin tone other then white, they'll want to be treated with kid gloves by the white people in the group so the white people can feel less "white guilt." Most people of color I know who get treated differently when in a group quickly leave that group because they don't like white people acting out of guilt; it feels uncomfortable for everyone involved. People want to be treated as people, not based on anything to do with skin color.

3) As a really perpetually poor white person, I really don't understand the term "white privilege." I don't feel privileged, although I suppose there probably are situations I'm not even aware of where life is easier for me because of the tone of my skin. I grew up knowing hunger and need; I grew up in a very blue-collar, working class home; so again, I don't feel like my skin color protected me or somehow separated me from the rest of the world and it's suffering. Because of this, I feel most comfortable often when around other people who've always been poor, whether they are White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or anything else, doesn't matter. I don't understand people who label themselves "white privileged" and probably never will.

Basically, I feel weird that anyone might feel guilty because of the color of their skin. This is not helpful to anyone; guilt is not an emotion we want to foster. If someone is feeling guilty because they've used their skin color to oppress others, or to gain wealth in an unethical way, or something along those lines, then by all means, share the wealth! But if someone is feeling guilty just by virtue of being white, well, don't make me and my friends feel uncomfortable because of your self-loathing.

I'm proud of my heritage; just as people of all ethnicities, races, religions, tribal groups, etc, have the right to be! I embrace my white hillbilly ancestry; I feel no guilt or shame about it.

(I do have a little guilt about my missionary ancestors who slaughtered a tribe of Native Americans, but that is another story. I don't believe this has anything to do with white privilege.)

Love ya,
Carrot