Talking Point #8--"Whites Swim in Racial Preference"

Talking Point #8--"Whites Swim in Racial Preference"
-- by Tim Wise


Premise:

• racial preference
  
• whites
• America
• segregation
• laws
• families
• equality
• privileged
  
• history
  
• generation
• opportunity
• unfair
  

Argument:

Wise argues that racial preference has shaped our laws, molded our public policy, and aided in creating inequalities that we are still faced with living in todays privileged society.

Evidence:

1. "Ask a fish what water is and you'll get no answer. Even if fish were capable of speech, they would likely have no explanation for the element they swim in every minute of every day of their lives. Water simply is. Fish take it for granted" 1. This is a simple metaphor describing the way fish take water for granted as people take racial preference and culture for granted.

2. "We strike the pose of self-sufficiency while ignoring the advantages we have been afforded in every realm of activity: housing, education, etc... We ignore the fact that at almost every turn, our hard work has been met with access to an opportunity structure denied to millions of others. Privilege, to us, is like water to the fish: invisible precisely because we cannot imagine life without it" (2). Wise is saying that Americans take privilege for granted that we cannot even imagine what we would do without it, its almost like a lifestyle.

3."So long as these privileges remain firmly in place and the preferential treatment that flows from those privileges continues to work to the benefit of whites, all talk of ending affirmative action is not only premature but a slap in the face to those who have fought, and died, for equal opportunity" (3). In other words, privilege is only working for whites and its such a disgrace to any other colored person because people have fought and died for equal opportunity.

Comments/ Questions/ Points to Share:
I really enjoyed reading this article because it was very easily understandable. The author uses many metaphors and other techniques to view the situation of racial preference and privilege. I also like how he uses many facts and quite a humorous or sarcastic approach. The author definitely gets the main idea across. I agree with what he argues also; white Americans are so privileged that they take it for granted.