Reply to Serious question: Why are people afraid to admit privilege?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]Because of the expectation that you will work to make things more equal.

If you are a privileged person, you will give up some privileges[/b].[/quote]

Bingo. No one is willing to do what needs to be done for this to happen. So no one wants to admit they are "over" privileged or that their children are and that it's not fair.

Here's our situation. We live in a 2 million house in a close in neighborhood to NYC. My husband and I make over 750k between us. Our children go to great public schools but we could easily send them to private if we wanted. They travel the world at least 4 times a year and they are growing up with private ski lessons, tennis lessons, swim lessons, and on and on. They're all under 10 and each have over 200k in college savings already. No we're not yachting around in the Mediterranean and my daughter can't grow up to be a professional equestrian. But I'm sure most people would consider them "over" privileged and [b]would love to punish them in some way for getting things they lack.[/b]
[/quote]

Your kids *are* immensely privileged.  Wanting things to be more equal for people who aren't so lucky isn't "punishing" them.

"When you are accustomed to privilege, equality can feel like oppression."[/quote]

Exactly.  You would feel like it's a  punishment for your kids to go to a 50% non-white high school.  That would be a way for you to check your privilege.  They have EVERY OTHER ADVANTAGE.  Surely they can still succeed when in a school with brown children who may need more services?  Right?  You aren't so sure so you keep them in enclave of white, and when they do well it's because you are all So Smart and not because of systematic oppression that you support with your choices.  You feel OWED that good public school because you bought a $2M house.  [/quote]

How do you know they live in a white enclave? Perhaps they live in Brooklyn.[/quote]

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