MY FIRST DAY OF 'PRIVILEGE'

I went shopping at the market yesterday and as I strolled into the check-out line the girl behind me, SWB and talking on cell phone informed all nearby parties and whoever was on the end of the phone line that she was just cut-off by a guy with privilege. I laughed. I suppose that now we see the other boot of fascism descending fast upon us people that were born and raised without sin, who accepted the 'wisdom' of our elders, instructors, teachers, employers, etc, that there could be no such thing as stereotyping because such behavior implied racism. This was the very first time anybody ever accused me of privilege and it bore about as much resemblance to racism as one can find today in America.

HA!

Well, as it happens, I started rejecting the idea that stereotypes were racism many long decades ago. The thing about accepting that stupid premise is simply that it makes no allowance whatsoever for appearance, previous interactions, lessons-learned from others and of course leaves those who practice situational awareness always at the point of a dagger when assumptions based on all the foregoing are ignored or waved away.

I've been doing the SA thing about as long as I've been alive. I dare say all of you have been doing it too. Oh, I meet the occasional fool or idiot that brags about how they don't hesitate to cut through the bad parts of town because, nothing ever happened to them. That's OK with me. Somebody has to contribute to the bloodshed and the body count and rather it was idiots like them than me.

Patterns and response are simply part of life as we know it. For instance, in my experience over the last 50 years or so there are some things that count as near certainties when it comes to shopping at just about any place I care to go. First, some women, you know them, wait until they get to the register and everything has been rung up before they start fumbling around in the cavernous vault hanging from their arm that they call a 'purse' and only then start to rummage around for cash or check or credit card; none of which can be found easily or quickly.

Second, the same person will then question the cashier about 3 to 20 items she might also be interested in and pay absolutely no attention to the line backing up behind her as she discusses cost, options, lack of appreciation for the customer and general contempt for the cashier.

Third, anybody in line who is on their cellphone is going to make the wait longer when they get to the head of the line and slightly more unbearable since they won't hang up or put on hold their little conversation for any expediency of carrying out the operation of getting through without holding up the line.

Four, you can tell all of these people at a glance. 90% of them share the same exact characteristics and their behavior follows a known standard where they quite literally don't see anybody else as a person except themselves. Now I ask you, is that stereotyping or experience?