It is somewhat amazing how the same word can hold such different meanings. Transitively, to inure means to become accustomed too. Children in war torn countries are inured to violence. Intransitively, inure is an additional benefit. My masters degree will inure me to a potential employer.
This, as well as an ongoing dialog with Spicy, has me thinking about privilege. More specifically, the discussion of "white privilege", which is a nasty little reality that so many of my fellow caucasians are anxious too absolve themselves of.
White privilege rarely comes up as a topic without a significant response. Often, it's almost a knee jerk reaction for a white person to quickly indemnify themselves and explain the lack of privilege in their life.
"I've worked for everything I have."
"No one has given me anything."
Quick rebuttals intended to clearly show that they do not come from a privileged background. (Often implied in this conversation is "If I did it, so can anyone else."...but thats for another conversation.)
However, much like differing definitions of inure, privilege has differing definitions based on it's intended use.
In the case of white privilege, it's not a discussion of a white person's work ethic or contributions to their own success. Discussing white privilege does not trivialize your moral character.
In reality, white privilege has NOTHING to do with you, personally.
White privilege is not being born rich or poor, with advantages or without. It's not about being able to attend college or needing to go directly into the work force. White privilege has nothing to do with possessions or lifestyle.
It's about life. It's about making the assumption that someone is dangerous based on their skin color. It's about assuming that, upon being pulled over, a white man reaching to his glove compartment is looking for his registration and a black man is looking for his gun. (To quote Jay-Z, "are you carrying a weapon, I know a lot of you are.) It's to assume that a black child does not have two involved and caring parents or that the black woman who just entered your store is attempting to steal from you.
No one checks their door locks when I walk by or stiffens through their shoulders and ensures that their purse is closed when I walk by. A cop is highly unlikely to assume that I'm a threat upon pulling me over. No one sees me moving into a new home and thinks "A single girl in her 30's? There goes the neighborhood."
Stretch your vocabulary to allow for different definitions of "privilege". Accepting that there are different definitions of the word does not negate the life you have built for yourself. It does not denigrate the obstacles you have overcome and certainly does not imply that you "had it easy." Accepting that there is a bias does not take away from your struggles. It simply acknowledges a different struggle.
And let's not inure another generation of children to the bias of today.
