I ended a post about white privilege (although it’s really more general, it’s dominent culture privilege (like would you rather be a Buddhist or a Muslim in Myammar today?)) with a question, that being, what is the action item? Those posting about it seem to simply want people to know it exists. But aren’t there steps we can take to make our country more balanced? Some political positions we might take?
Well I’ve thought of some that I put up for discussion.
Universal health care — even the playing field for those most in need of simply good health.
Free college education — even the playing field in a society that is ever more dependent on an educated work force.
No real estate taxes for schools — one of the greatest advantages of being white is living in a neighborhood where the schools are well funded by real estate taxes. If state or federal taxes were used for schools instead, there would be a much better balance of education opportunities for those most disadvantaged. And there would be no need for ‘white flight’ as parents try to optimize the educational opportunities for their kids by moving to ‘good’ school districts.
No homework — I watch my daughter-in-law work with her kids (my grandkids) on their homework. She’s an amazing mom, makes sure her kids do well in school. As I watch, though, all I can think is it’s simply not fair. Kids in school without a parent like her are simply not going to be able to compete. Extend school hours, do homework in school with teachers around to help all, equally.
For any government programs that benefit a portion of our society, someone has to pay for it. Who will pay for these things? Well I would use my votes and tax dollars to support each of these programs.
Thank you for you valuable opinion!