Comments on: The Privilege Handicap on Display

By: ausgezeichnet

ausgezeichnet — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:52:17 +0000

Once again, SMC, I completely agree with your whole post. This bit in particular resonated for me:

“[B]right, qualified white men have nothing to fear. But others, who gained power by virtue of having been born white and male and whose only talent is Bible-beating, stand to lose a lot when minorities and women are given a fair shot at competition in the public sphere.”

The uber-conservative white men in my family are always moaning about how “your rights [referring to me] are being taken away” by these nuts in DC. Clearly, by “your rights,” they mean “your white privilege.”

It completely grosses me out when crotchety old men hold everyone up to the exact standards that they faced back in the ’60s or earlier, especially when THINGS WERE NOT ACTUALLY THE WAY THEY REMEMBER THEM, NOT AT ALL. Things have changed since the Eisenhower era — and it was not idyllic in 1955, either. Live with it.

I think it’s a good idea to get the opinions of lots of different people on important topics, but maybe that’s just the flaming liberal in me talking.

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:56:23 +0000

The question of judicial temperment is oozing with sexist assumptions. I am quite sure that whatever Sotomayor does on the bench would be considered well within the boundaries of normal behavior were it being done by a male. Asking pointed questions, being impatient with poor preparation or argumentation, asserting herself from the bench-all reasonable and common judicial behavior. If you want someone to hold your hand while you make an oral argument, you shouldn’t be a litigator, boys.

By: ceejeemcbeegee

ceejeemcbeegee — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:47:06 +0000

Why do certain White people think everyone else who isn’t White must hate them and is out for revenge?

Ya know what White people, we are just not that into you.

By: runescape gold

runescape gold — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:38:28 +0000

The piling-up of petty complaints is an important aspect of conservative movement culture.

By: Endora

Endora — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:07:41 +0000

I really don’t have anything to add to this, but am nodding my head in total agreement.

And Becky’s comment about W/the whole Republican party was right on too, I have to say.

By: rodriguez

rodriguez — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:39:25 +0000

Love this post Sarah.

Hate that ricky ricardo “splainin’” thing. It makes me want to kill the person slowly with a letter opener.

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:56:54 +0000

@s.o.l.a.g.: Yeah, I thought that was an extraordinary statement–so fucking patronizing and ignorant. The woman’s an Ivy League educated jurist for fuck’s sake.

And it’s so fucking racist. No one ever would have said to Samuel Alito “the world’s bigger than Trenton.” Which is where he grew up as the son of immigrants. And his parents were born and raised in a foreign country, whereas Sotomayor’s parents and grandparents were American citizens.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:49:41 +0000

Somehow I don’t think my Bronx-born mother would be asked if she knew that the world is bigger than the Bronx. Although she is white, so maybe Sessions et al wouldn’t be freaking out and grasping at racist straws.

By: Spark

Spark — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:25:55 +0000

Her poker-face was phenomenal. I imagined her brushing that dirt off her shoulder, like Obama channeling Jay-Z during the primaries.

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:24:01 +0000

“Privilege can be a handicap that way. It allows those who have it to move through life without developing actual skills, intellect, or that most dreaded of qualities: empathy.”

WORD.

See: Bush, George W.

Oh hell, see the whole fucking Republican party.