"It is not the ctitic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

~Theodore Roosevelt

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Privilege Checklist

~All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than animals that know nothing.
~Maurice Maeterlinck

Lately I've been driving back to Provo late at night. I'll go home for an evening or head back late Sunday night. And parking in Provo sucks. As if I haven't said that a million times already on my blog... sorry 'bout that. I don't think they should be allowed to build more buildings than they have parking for. But that's a whole issue I don't want to go into right now.

I'm a girl. I've been taught to be careful-especially in the dark. I've seen hundreds of CSI, NCIS, Bones, Criminal Minds, and other TV shows about kidnappings and murders. And all kinds of horrific things. I'm not stupid. I know these things happen. And it scares me. It really does.

A few months ago my dad got me a nice thing of pepper spray. When I walk home late at night, I have it with me-usually out, ready to spray. With my phone in my other hand. I freak out at every noise and avoid anyone who happens to be walking around as well.

Talking to my parents about it this last week I remembered an article/paper that I read for my college humanities class my senior year of high school. Luckily, I loved that text book and kept it. I wanted to share a few things from it. It's called "The Male Privilege Checklist" ("An unabashed imitation of an article by Peggy McIntosh).

To preface, I'm not overly upset or feminist or bitter or anything else you could think of. I just find these points interesting and find it kind of sad that this is the way things are. Further, the checklist had a preface about how they are not saying men have easy lives either.

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4-If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won't be seen as a black mark against my entire sex's capabilities.

7-If I'm a teen or adult, and if I can stay out of prison, my odds of being raped are relatively low.

8-I am not taught to fear walking alone after dark in average public places.

12-If I have children and a career, no one will think I'm selfish for not staying at home.

21-If I'm careless with my financial affairs it won't be attributed to my sex.

22-If I'm careless with my driving it won't be attributed to my sex.

26-My clothing is typically less expensive and better-constructed than women's clothing for the same social status. While I have fewer options, my clothes will probably fit better than a woman's without tailoring.

27-The grooming regimen expected of me is relatively cheap and consumes little time.

33-My ability to make important decisions and my capability in general will never be questioned depending on what time of the month it is.

46-I have the privilege of being unaware of my male privilege.
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