There is a glaring miscommunication happening right now between whites and blacks and it stems from an unclear definition of the term "white privilege." Let’s be perfectly clear: If you are white, you have white privilege — period.

Having white privilege does not mean you have an easy life. It means that when a figure of authority confronts you, because your skin is white, you automatically get the benefit of the doubt and are innocent until proven guilty.

An example: In 2004, after headlining a comedy show at an Austin club, I decided to check out the band I had met while doing radio. I was excited because they were fantastic, plus a hipster dude from the audience had slipped me some weed.

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The problem started when I spilled half the pot onto my back seat. As I collected it, the surrounding light suddenly got intensely bright. I was in big trouble. Two fine officers of the Austin Police Department were now in my business shining their powerful flashlights on my pot.

"Good evening, officers," I said.

"Good evening, sir," said one of them. "What have you got there?"

There was no disguising what I had there.

"It’s marijuana, sir. I’m a touring comedian. I just did a show. This is how I relax."

"I see. Any more in the car?"

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The truth is, I did have another bud stashed — that Austin hipster was generous, doggone it — but I did not want to add any more illegal evidence to the situation. So instead, I copped to a lesser crime.

"Yes sir, I have this, too."

I handed him my pipe.

"One minute," he said.

There were several ways these cops could have handled this situation. Here’s a stranger in their town with an illegal substance right out in the open, busted cold — an easy arrest and eventual conviction. It could have easily gone differently. Guns drawn, cuffs snapped on, an arrest made, maybe jail time. It would have been so easy for them to do all that — but these guys didn’t.

They took my pipe, scattered my weed, and said, "OK, sir, have a nice evening." That is white privilege.

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You could argue that it was because I was a headlining comic, or because I was polite or showed my hands at all times, but that’s not why they let me go. It was because I’m white.

They did what a good cop should’ve done: listened to my story and decided that I was neither a criminal nor a threat.

What does it feel like to not have this benefit of the doubt? What does it feel like when a cop refuses to listen to your story? What does if feel like when you somehow inexplicably get shot and killed as a result of this simple run-in? I have no idea because I have white privilege, white benefit of the doubt. I can’t deny it — and if you’re white, neither can you.

When someone tells you that you have white privilege, they’re not trying to tell you that you’ve had it easy. All they are saying is that when it comes to being judged by a person of authority, if you are white, you will usually get the benefit of the doubt, and if you are black, you usually don’t. That’s why people are taking a knee.

Because in America, all citizens are supposed to be treated innocent until proven guilty. We are all supposed to get the benefit of the doubt. When someone feels like they’re not getting that, they are understandably upset — so upset that they might be willing to interrupt something as sacred as the national anthem with a silent, kneeling protest.

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A protest during the national anthem in front of the flag was chosen because both of these are meant to represent liberty and justice for all — and when you’re not getting yours— your benefit of the doubt — in America you have a First Amendment right to take a knee and demand it. No matter what color you are.