The 2016 Presidential Election and Privilege

It takes privilege to not have to worry about what it’s like to cradle your dying Palestinian baby in your arms, a victim of warmongering U.S. politicians.

It takes privilege to not be concerned about never participating in the “American Dream” because the college education any decent paying job requires demands you start your life with a mountain of debt.

It takes privilege to ignore the prison-industrial complex of for-profit prisons, and the inevitable policy decisions that fall out from that, causing a generation of an entire race to be locked up disproportionately.

It takes privilege to not go bankrupt because of an illness that is inadequately covered by shitty insurance.

It takes privilege to disregard the hollowing out of unions and blue collar workers’ rights.

It takes privilege to not worry about the difference between $12 and $15 an hour, and whether or not you’ll be able to afford rent with either.

I’ve seen a lot of supporters of one particular presidential candidate try to use privilege as a way to bully and shame people into voting like them, and against a third party candidate who might better fit their conscience. Before you do that, you should recognize your own privileges that there are a lot of ways to cut that argument. The “lesser evil” argument works for privilege, too, and some people will not vote for the lesser evil.