My mom sent me a thoughtful email recently in response to a social justice topic, in which she described privilege with the words, “those of us who are protected from this issue.” If we think of privilege as protection rather than, say, unearned success, perhaps it’s easier to see why someone like Dawkins––undeniably intelligent, accomplished, and hardworking––can be said to be blind to his privilege. His impressive safety net protects him from all but the most egregious scandal fallout, and it is his less-renowned and less-moneyed listeners who must choose whether to accept what he says or criticize him on the Internet or perhaps avoid the significant and numerous events that cater to his comfort. Consequences, for Dawkins, amount to the angry tweets and blog posts he considers so beneath his contempt. If Dawkins has been muzzled, those of us on the receiving end of his vitriol had better hope we never have to see him off leash.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 13:43:55 +0000
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