Reply #42: The presumption that this is a one-way street does tremendous damage. [View All]

[lumberjack_jeff]

"In order for you to be an effective ally for people who aren't white males, you need to be aware of the challenges that they face."

Some posters here do a wonderful job with a 360° evaluation of the white/minority and male/female relationships, but without denigrating, stereotyping or blaming any group. Their approach, as opposed to the one the OP takes here, holds real promise in leveling our society. In fact, it is the only one that does.

The approach the OP has chosen is scapegoating and stereotyping. A man who doesn't suffer from self-loathing tends to tune out after privilege #1; the totally anecdotal suggestion that other things being equal, men are "probably" given greater consideration for jobs. They tune out because;
1) it seems patently false to just about any man working in a gender-integrated field, and
2) #1 on the list of mens privileges is a phenomenon that "probably" occurs?

I don't really want to wade any deeper than ankle-deep into this topic tonight, but suffice to say that I find this treatment of the topic to be superficial, dishonest and counterproductive.

If a man either disagrees with, or can make a very obvious observation about the reciprocal situation for each of the items on the list, he'll immediately be dismissed as living in denial. Even when he's right.