Privilege

I am privileged. That is to say, “white privileged,” as defined by the left and the social movements of the day. I grew up in a small Wisconsin city (call it “Mayberry”), went to public school, received a good education at a state university, became an employed taxpayer and ultimately a business owner. I have a family, home, dog and two cats. And to the extent of “privilege,” I own guns, fly airplanes, and support the economy by purchasing things that are not essential.

I am privileged to be a citizen of the United States. By fortune of birth, I am protected by rights that our forefathers had the wisdom to draft into the most important collective statement of freedom in the world. It affords all Americans the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The US Constitution does not state that the aforementioned is automatic, rather that the mechanisms of freedom allow for the pursuit of excellence and achievement; affirming that we are indeed in control of our own destiny. “Pursuit of happiness,” by definition, requires active participation and motivation. Free will is a success variable controlled by the individual, not groups, special interest, the media, or Hollywood. The very nature of groups has the tendency to stifle independent thought and dilute free will.

The privilege I enjoy as a citizen of the United States (as defined by our Constitution) was never intended to be a shield for mediocrity or laziness, nor was it intended to be a vehicle for blame or an excuse for failure. It is the key building block in the foundation for personal and national success.

It appears we have reached a point in the evolution of our Republic where unity and common interest has been displaced by selfishness and extremism, propelled by mere fractions of the population while the collective “privileged” stand idle and voiceless. Under the guise of tolerance and compassion, the “privileged” have been conditioned to accept the intolerable through projected guilt and shaming. How can we not let children use the restroom and locker rooms of their choice based on their “feeling” of sexual identity rather than birth gender? How can we not openly accept transgender soldiers into the ranks of the most formidable war fighters in the world? How can we expect people of color to assimilate into and honor a nation that embraced slavery 200 years ago? How can we deny access to immigrants – regardless of their social and political interests – when they merely seek to be free and glean the benefits of the privileged?

The whys and hows seem endless, yet are perpetuated by a fraction of the population; the proverbial squeaky wheel getting the grease. What the privileged understand and the fractions don’t is that “grease” is – and has always been – a finite commodity. Simply stated, America has become over-greased while the wheels driving the machine are not being maintained. The “privileged” have become little more than an unappreciated resource for the fractions, who quite literally hate the very people and system that perpetuates their existence.

I live by the rules of civilized society. I am taxed to breathe in order to pay for the fractions and takers. I am “privileged.” However I, unlike the fractions, do not have the government gift of free housing, free food, free healthcare, a free cell phone, and an exemption from taxation with no expectation of work or contribution. That being said, who is privileged? The definition of privilege is: “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.”

The fractions spew the word “privilege” as a negative moniker with hatred and disgust, the way racists and homophobes employ target words to incite and degrade. Using the word “privilege” negatively is like attempting to come up with a demeaning term for participation and accomplishment.

The privilege I enjoy is from being a citizen and active participant in the greatest country in the world. That is true privilege, not just a word used to perpetuate guilt, shame, and a system that has clearly failed generations of fractions by negating accountability.

Vince Kuber