White Privilege

Several years ago I was stopped by a Seattle police officer.

He said I had a tail light out.

I already knew that because my turn signals were telling me via the highly escalated pulse rate that occurs when your tail ight is out.

I just hadn’t had time – it had occurred in the current “driving experience” – to get the bulb replaced.

Then the officer asked me for my proof of insurance card.

I keep that in the glove compartment.

I keep the glove compartment locked.

The key for my car is one of those big plastic contrivances that you push into a hole on the dash and electronic stuff tells the car to do your bidding.

Like adjusting the seat and steering wheel to your chosen positions.

And it also has a little metal key imbedded in it.

That key does several things.

One of them is to unlock the glove compartment.

So I pulled the little key out of the plastic master key, and …

“Oh that’s OK sir; I am sure you have insurance” came from the cop.

He was black.

I was appalled.

But he didn’t shoot me.

I really want all my not privileged white brethren to read this and think about this and realize how subtle is their privilege.,