I shared a link with brillig earlier today, to an essay by a cyclist named Jeremy Dowsett, who tried to illuminate the concept of white privilege. It resonated with me in part because I am just such a cyclist, and because it dovetailed with many thoughts I have had while out on the roads.
I am only going to quote a few things from it, but I hope you will take the time to read it in its entirety. It isn’t long.
More below.
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He describes riding his bike regularly in Lansing, MI, a car area with no compromise. ‘Not a bike-friendly town.’
Now sometimes its dangerous for me because people in cars are just blatantly a**holes to me. If I am in the road—where I legally belong—people will yell at me to get on the sidewalk. If I am on the sidewalk—which is sometimes the safest place to be—people will yell at me to get on the road. People in cars think its funny to roll down their window and yell something right when they get beside me. Or to splash me on purpose. People I have never met are angry at me for just being on a bike or for being in “their” road and they let me know with colorful language and other acts of aggression.
He works to explain that cyclists face challenges most automobile drivers can’t (and don’t have to) imagine. The transportation infrastructure of our world is designed for them, for their convenience. That they don’t think of the circumstances of others doesn’t mean that they are ‘bad,’ or that they’re the transportational equivalent of racists. They just don’t understand.
I can imagine that for people of color life in a white-majority context feels a bit like being on a bicycle in midst of traffic. They have the right to be on the road, and laws on the books to make it equitable, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are on a bike in a world made for cars. Remembering this when I’m on my bike in traffic has helped me to understand what privilege talk is really about.
I really appreciated the essay, because it never devolved into trying to win an argument, or defeat anyone. It was written for the purpose of increasing understanding, of building tolerance, indeed, of setting some of the groundwork for moving our society forward, not JUST with cycling, but with more important aspects of life like race and class and gender.
On to tonight’s comments! Formatted by brillig! One with fine insights into privilege and its role in our relating.
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From DRo:
I would like to nominate BOHICA's comment, from Laura Clawson’s Donald Trump claims his attacks on NFL players have 'nothing to do with race.' Yeah, right.
From elenacarlena:
Greetings! I was about to embed this when slksfca beat me to it. Two great minds thinking alike must be a top comment!
From belinda ridgewood:
I loved this comment from first-time commenter jtuohey, in BC in Illinois's diary "I didn't serve, so that these SOB's could protest!" It just gets better and better as you read.
From brillig:
From one diary- Teacherman1978’s heartbreaking Not sure if we can continue putting the flag up at school... come noms, all for different reasons:
leonard145b’s because it’s the first question I would want to ask.
BMScott’s because I learned a new vocabulary word.
DaveinBremerton because it both made me smile AND had practical suggestions.
and quaoar, because this probably is what I would have done (or wanted to do).
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Top Mojo for yesterday, September 24th 2017, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
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Top Pictures for yesterday, September 24th 2017. Click any image to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you jotter!