The Trump presidency invited a Back to the Future response from the left that is positively 1968; except the protests are against privilege, and not so much for equality. Christian privilege – – Male privilege – – White privilege: a majority of Americans, in fact, enjoy two of those privileges, so the real problem is probably bad situations instead of no-win identities. Perhaps George Floyd died mostly because a horrible situation (bad policing) exists in Minneapolis.
It’s human nature for people to feel bad situations are victimizations, in which they are weakened and controlled by an oppressor. America is far from victim-free, but Aayan Hirsi Ali, a black African, observes “America is still the best place on the planet to be black, female or [LGBTQ].” She argues against an identity-based revolution for a situation-based solution. These are the things that actually bestow privilege, which many Americans can have.
Nuclear families. Only 15% of Asian children live in single-parent homes, compared to 65% of black children (source: Kasey Foundation). Consequently, Asian juveniles have a 1.1% arrest rate and 94% high-school graduation rate, in contrast to black juveniles with a 4.4% arrest rate and 80% high-school graduation rate (60% for males). Candace Owens (Blexit) and Sonnie Johnson (Politichicks) cite no-father homes as the root cause of failed black lives.
Good schools. Black Democrats support school choice: 70% for targeted school vouchers, 64% for universal school vouchers, and 54% for charter schools (source: Harvard). Black parents talk to friends with kids in good schools, who graduate to college or gainful vocations, and want the same. By 2004, black college grads earned the same (95% overall and 110% for women) as white college grads – and twice that of black high-school-only. It’s increasingly clear a college degree bestows color-blind privilege.
Communities. Animals are hard-wired to fear the unfamiliar, and all humans – regardless of identity – discriminate against otherness: be it other families, religions or regions. The point here is communities naturally flourish in pluralist societies.
- A family is the paramount “community” and there’s no intrinsic evil in the unconscious bias of a white (90%) or black (88%) woman marrying inside her race. A woman marries a man like her father mostly to ensure a good father, husband and provider.
- A religion is a belief community with constitutional protections that allow devout adherents of Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism to do no more (or less) than tolerate otherness.
- Regions are cultural communities essential to American dynamism. Try to imagine the US without Motown: the efficient hub of our auto industry and incubus for our black-entertainment industry. Regional pride and prestige can be a good thing.
Native-born. All immigrants encounter native-born Americans and “otherness” until assimilated. Native-born bestows privilege – so what? It’s true in every nation. The US native-born inherit advanced well-baby care and extended communities (family and neighbors), and absorb English and pop culture effortlessly. As a practical matter, why should 87% of the US (280 million) that is native-born feel guilty about this privilege?
Intelligence trumps bias. The anti-police crowd thinks “systemic” white privilege is responsible for bad policing. A high-school diploma doesn’t bestow white privilege, but it does qualify one to carry a gun and enforce the law in increasingly complex communities. Yes, there are racist cops, but there are far more under-trained cops walking into trouble. Again, it is a bad situation: untrained cop against unknown suspect. Frankly, I am amazed there are not more fatal shootings by police.