I saw a post from stopmakingliberalslookbad.tumblr.com that criticized the challenge from social justice extremists for straight white males to use our privilege to help. He rightly regarded that even when “privileged” people try to help, they’re often told to stay in their lane, or that they’re not needed, etc. etc.



I want to go a bit further, because I’m extremely cynical, and I think it’s worth pointing out to these idiots who don’t understand what the fuck the word privilege means.



Let’s assume I’m straight and/or white and/or male. What does it mean for me to use my privilege to help? Do these people truly think that these genetic aspects of myself have any sort of universal regard in the first world? It’s not as if I see a cop beating on a poor, young, innocent black kid that if I run up to them and tell him to stop, he’s going to listen to the reason of my whiteness.



I’m one piece of shit. I have no more influence over anyone else than the next person. People don’t like being told what to do, how to think, how to speak, how to act, no matter what the issue is, and generally no matter who it’s coming from. A white racist isn’t going to listen to my reasoning more because I’m white. They’re not going to convert to being a decent human being all of a sudden. I’ve criticized my male friends when I see them cat call, and it doesn’t make a difference. People will be shitty, am I supposed to just get ultraviolent on people because they say and do shitty things that may or may not hurt other people’s feelings?



I effectively can not use my privilege to help. The most I can use is my being, and that’s something that falls outside of the scope of privilege. Surely you realize that not all straight people, white people, and men, have money, influence, and other variables that can turn the tide of social injustices. I don’t live in a huge 4000 square foot house that was given to me on White People Appreciation Day. I don’t drive a Lexus. I barely have any money in the bank.



Trust me, I am all on the train of being able to help fight against bullshit. But if you think that I’m going to take orders from a fucking idiot who doesn’t understand how life works and what makes people tick, you’re going to find yourself in some array of disappointment. Also, if you pick and choose which demographics you believe are worth helping, or have no interest in taking action against true sufferers of misogyny in non-first world countries, then you can shut the fuck up and stop being a hypocrite.