Ronald Lindsay, president of CFI, on privilege:
I’m talking about the situation where the concept of privilege is used to try to silence others, as a justification for saying, “shut up and listen.” Shut up, because you’re a man and you cannot possibly know what it’s like to experience x, y, and z, and anything you say is bound to be mistaken in some way, but, of course, you’re too blinded by your privilege even to realize that.
This approach doesn’t work. It certainly doesn’t work for me. It’s the approach that the dogmatist who wants to silence critics has always taken because it beats having to engage someone in a reasoned argument. It’s the approach that’s been taken by many religions. It’s the approach taken by ideologies such as Marxism. You pull your dogma off the shelf, take out the relevant category or classification, fit it snugly over the person you want to categorize, dismiss, and silence and … poof, you’re done. End of discussion. You’re a heretic spreading the lies of Satan, and anything you say is wrong. You’re a member of the bourgeoisie, defending your ownership of the means of production, and everything you say is just a lie to justify your power. You’re a man; you have nothing to contribute to a discussion of how to achieve equality for women.
Clap, clap, clap, mister! You have a new fan over here.
By the way, Rebecca Watson and Jeniffer McCreight went apeshit crazy and after Lindsay for his talk! You know, he was blinded by his privilege! Well, what can I say other than I told you so?
Lindsay’s CFI opened a space for drama-queens to go read anonymous comments and threats they get and that are already available, for free, on the Internet, and to go and cry because they get asked for coffee, and the first chance they get, they turn on him, just for mildly disagreeing with them.
