Comments for What Privilege?

Comment on Extroverts provide a privilege demonstration by Lana G

Lana G — Sun, 13 May 2012 08:20:01 +0000

Just stumbled across this article (talk about being late to the party!) and having read both, I can say, as an extrovert, I am privileged. And I know it. I already knew that my ability to market myself, to adapt to a crowd, to smile and please made me a, fit the preferred-female stereotype, and b, gave me an edge in job-hunting in this shitty economy. Where my more introverted friend has significant problems getting herself to call up potential employers or “ace that interview,” despite her skill set and education. And she can’t fight the system either, she has to “learn to be extroverted” – fake it till you make it. I’ve offered to role-play interviews with her to help her at least lessen the fear aspect of it (being rejected so many times is gonna leave a psychic mark), but at the end of the day: my ability to be outgoing is something that gives me a social edge.

Random aside: not sure if my extroversion is an inherent trait, or a learned one, as I was very shy as a youngster, and was the one with “no friends.” I meet many of the “checklists” for introversion – except that I’m a social animal. (One who’s as happy on the internet as much as out and about with friends.) So I’m not sure how much of my extroversion is a learned trait, internalized because of society and its norms, or merely getting over my fear of social interactions (including lessening of a fear of rejection) which allowed natural extroversion to come to the fore of my personality. /shrug

Comment on The few controlling the many by A Real Black Person

A Real Black Person — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:27:34 +0000

Maggiemay says “you know if families could actually learn to get along and stop being shitty to each other, we could defeat the system by living communally—but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon because were all 2 damn selfish”
That’s what capitalists want, anyway. ten people living in a two bedroom apartment.
That’s why they embrace illegal immigrants. They don’t complain about squat and don’t aspire to a living wage.

Communalism comes at the expense of individual rights . Unless the majority of people in a communal system or family are exactly the same personality wise, and abilities-wise, there will be differences, cliques and tensions.

Comment on Abused kids can’t really sue their parents by M.

M. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:44:54 +0000

There are stone walls everywhere. Jennifer is absolutely correct about everything. I am personally confronting them encouraging resolution. Their defense is that I am a nut. My Birth Family has also conspired with my ex-wife, from the divorce to the present. They both have a Mother/Daughter relationship. And I discovered within the last two weeks that I also have been cut from her will. I am totally inconsequential to my special-needs child’s life. Essentially, they took the birth father right out of the equation. Literally. So there is no obvious solution for those like me who seek options. It is almost like our perpetrators are essentially attempting to define our lives. If you are a Black Sheep, like I, to fight a birth family alone, and financially broke to pursue them civilly. If their is any philanthropist reading this, I would accept funding for a good legal team to at least bring my perpetrators in front of a judge, so that the truth can come out. I do not mind losing such a legal war, because I want to believe in the legal system, and the integrity of Judges that sit behind the bench. Conspired perpetrators need to be exposed, and they will attempt to undermine a victim’s credibility and sanity in the process. Does any one here think I am nuts? I have always followed my instincts, and never sold out to the corruption within my family business. All I ever wanted was equality with my 2 birth siblings (in collusion for greed with my birth parents). I am alone, and still being persecuted by my Birth Others + My Ex-Wife (who found sanctuary with my birth family, and with Mommie Dearest’s support imbedded herself in my birth mother’s will, and with my birth family. I’m fucked, royally fucked. I do not appreciate getting fucked by them, and I feel bad for everyone in this forum, whether victims of Physical, Sexual or Psychological Abuse. Victims cannot simply accept defeat. That is what I am suggesting.

Comment on Abused kids can’t really sue their parents by Monte

Monte — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:59:51 +0000

I don’t have conclusive answers for any victim of abuse who reads this yet. I am living the fight for my own justice now. The experience is like an implosion. I’ll revisit here and let you all know my experiences going through it. For now, the simple answer is No, you probably can’t initially, unless a pre-existing law has been broken. If a law has been broken, contact Police and see if they will arrest anyone for a crime. If no pre-existing law has been broken, then…

…welcome to the club, and thus Jen’s site and forum. The question is what can one do about it from there? Or better yet, what can ‘One’ or a ‘Collective’ of victims do about it now? Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. So how shall it be approached?

Comment on What it’s like to be a woman by Safety: A Gift, and a Privilege | The Quad bu student magazine & blog

Safety: A Gift, and a Privilege | The Quad bu student magazine & blog — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:30:25 +0000

[...] want to check your safety privilege. If you have gone to a party and lasted the whole night without feeling like you need to protect [...]

Comment on No, everyone cannot just go get a job by Lex

Lex — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:01:24 +0000

Thank you for addressing this! I’ve been volunteering for ROC United (Restaurant Opportunities Center United) ever since I found out that the minimum wage for tipped servers has been only $2.13 for over a decade! With this recession, these workers often don’t get paid livable wages, (or anything close to it) even if they work tripple shifts.

I’m not a resteraunt worker myself, but I did work retail when I first got out of high school, and I remember having to beg Old Navy for more hours so I could pay rent/eat. Though I won sales contests so often that the area supervisor showed up to meet and congradulate me, I was never given enough hours to recieve health insurance, sick days, or a livable wage. Two of my coworkers were fired for having second jobs, because “company policy” stated that we had to be available at all times, even though we were not guaranteed any work hours at all in a given week.

It’s not that the 99% are adverse to hard work (In case some of you are under the impression that camping on cement in the middle of winter is easy); the problem is that hard work does NOT pay, and we demand that that sad fact changes.

Comment on Abused kids can’t really sue their parents by Catherine P

Catherine P — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:51:31 +0000

I understand you most likely can’t sue for what your awful mom did when you were a kid. I came to terms many years ago about my childhood. Everybody has a shitty childhood so I let it go. But my narcissistic mother (whom I only recently found out is narcacistic) brought it into my life. She has been allowed to slander, harass and cause great damage to my life. She conspired with my ex husband to take my children from me two months after he was investigated for child sexual assault and probably got paid for it (there are “underground anti mother programs within the US courts that she used to help her and him take my kids… Yes they exist… Another subject. Go to nafcj.com if your interested. Oh and she worked for the county that hijacked my out of state court order and do this). So I’m just now finding out what’s wrong with her and how she was able to get away with it (not to mention my ex who she helped has beenbrepeatedly investigated for crimes against children. To no avail). And I still don’t know everything. Can I sue for that?

Comment on No, everyone cannot just go get a job by Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:17:09 +0000

” And many of those people – most, in my experience – do not have a spouse whose insurance they can be included on”

I had to put in my two cents here, because I work in a field where a two-income household should be a requirement – early childhood. I am perpetually single. I don’t wanna whine about that fact, but I fantasize about being able to work in this field because it is what I truly love, and am so passionate about (and really good at, if I do say so myself), and be able to make ends meet with only one job…I usually have three. And benefits!?! Pfffttt! I have horrible health insurance, so I avoid the doctor at every turn. Health insurance is a really good reason to get married in my book.

Comment on Non-survivor privilege and silence by Victim Blaming. « Ekahidioltas

Victim Blaming. « Ekahidioltas — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:41:39 +0000

[...] http://whatprivilege.com/non-survivor-privilege-and-silence/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Comments RSS feed [...]

Comment on No, everyone cannot just go get a job by Quotebag #63 | In defense of anagorism

Quotebag #63 | In defense of anagorism — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:59:15 +0000

[...] “Few employers want to hire workers who have experience and have already commanded decent salaries and know their rights. It’s like the desire to fuck virgins in hopes they’re so ignorant they won’t realize you’re lousy in bed.”—Jennifer Kesler [...]