Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week,that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

Tim Wise takes on white privilege and white right-wing rage in the age of Obama.

Amen.

It's always SO FASCINATING to see who defriends me when I make a post about privilege. Within an hour or two after I make a post like my last one, BAM, one or two people defriend me.

EVERY. SINGLE. TIME

It's clockwork.

And usually, I'm not surprised at who it is. Lurkers, a lot of time. LOTS of straight white people (usually men) who were pretty much only here for the pretty pictures in the first place. So, there's some sort of pattern, I suppose.

This time? I'm actually and legitimately surprised at who cut me from their list, and it kinda stings. Ah well. Oh blah dee, oh blah dah. Life goes on.