The Heart of the Matter

I was born a white heterosexual middle class healthy male in 20th century America.

Certainly, my parents sacrificed much to grant me a strong, stable and supportive environment in which to grow. Certainly, I have worked hard at my own development and taken on difficult challenges along the way. Certainly, I have committed to an ethical life built on integrity.

The point is that my family and I have inherited the freedom and power to make these choices.

It would be disingenuous to say that I regret the opportunity my life has afforded. That is nothing other than a charity toward my brothers and sisters without such power. Does superficial guilt benefit those without, or does it simply salve the conscience of those with privilege?

Rather than charity, what is required is justice. Rather than feeling bad about freedom, power and opportunity, what we need is committed and systemic action to break down the barriers that keep many people from accessing these ecosystems. The list of challenges is  dishearteningly well tread: prejudice, greed, violence, fear.

Working at a community college, I am inspired every day by stories of resilience and resourcefulness and drive in the face of many such challenges. Most of the time, these life stories are different than my individual story. However, the important realization is that your story is my story, just as mine yours. This is the human story. "I may not [seem] the same; it does not matter; no freedom until we're equal; damn right I support it."

Justice is the freedom of each and everyone of us to become who we are. At a deep visceral level, I am indignant when this freedom is curtailed, and fulfilled when it flourishes forth. To me privilege equates to the responsibility to use my power and opportunity to work toward justice. This is not heroic; I am not swooping in to "save" anyone. I am simply playing a role in my story, your story, our story. The unwritten future is our hope; our dreams remain to be realized.