It is interesting and, I think, informative to compare “white privilege” in our United States to “systemic racism” in our United States. Both of these elements in our National character are widely known and widely misunderstood, but they are mostly misunderstood by white folks. That’s right; the very people who enjoy the benefits of “white privilege” are the very same people who argue that “systemic racism” does not exist. On the other hand, if you are non-white and living in the United States you wake up every day knowing that you will spend another day being treated as an unequal member of our society.
Why do white people not know that they are the recipients of “white privilege?” Since I am white, I will take the stance that us white folks can’t recognize our “white privilege” because just like our skin color, we have always had it. When something has always been there, we don’t know it is there because we only recognize changes in our lives when they occur. “White privilege” is not unlike the air that we breathe – it is just there and we take it for granted until something happens to cause us to recognize that we dependent on something that we generally don’t think much about.
Us white folks have a hard time accepting the idea that “systemic racism” exists because we have not been the subject of its many prejudices. If we want to understand the impacts of “systemic racism” we will need to talk to non-white members of our society and try hard to imagine what it feels like to wake up non-white in these United States. When it comes to understanding “white privilege”, we also need to engage in a conversation with someone who is non-white so that we can truly be exposed to the inequality that is the consequence of its existence.
I have written in other places about how I would fix this inequality problem if I were in charge. I think we need to amend our Constitution so that the solution to our inequality problem resides within this pinnacle legal document of our Nation. If we can’t establish equality in our Constitution, we will never be successful at eradicating inequality in subordinate places within our system of laws. I would propose a simple and concise Amendment to minimize any potential for misinterpretation. I would base the text in our Declaration of Independence, as follows:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all persons are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Further, within these United States of America, all persons shall receive the same privileges and immunities as all other persons in all matters public and private.
As for the ratification process, I propose that each State Legislature condition their approval or disapproval on a popular vote of their citizenry. In other words, let the people decide – let the people own the decision.
Should an Amendment such as this be ratified, all of the subordinate laws of our system would be subject to this new scrutiny and every officer of the court would become an investigator seeking out the origins of prejudicial language wherever it may be written. I believe we would unleash the most effective legal reform possible in the correction of “systemic racism” and “white privilege” here in our United States of America. Our beacon would shine more brightly than ever before.
The Sausage Grinder is Broken, will you help to fix it? If you haven’t read A Broken Sausage Grinder; Is Our Government Fundamentally Flawed?, you’re not prepared for the job.
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